


Forever Island Mode

by YumeSin



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Another Episode, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Danganronpa 2:Goodbye Despair, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Light BDSM, M/M, Multi, Reader-Insert, Reader-Interactive
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-17
Updated: 2017-11-19
Packaged: 2018-12-03 13:17:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 31
Words: 74,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11533029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YumeSin/pseuds/YumeSin
Summary: This is set in an alternate universe where Junko does not die after the events of Trigger Havoc and consumes the world in despair. Class 77-B is still captured and put into a simulation program, however, by an unknown entity. . .This was originally posted on my Quotev and I am porting it over here and Wattapad as new chapters are made. I hope you enjoy!





	1. Advice - Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> If interested, I do have a survey floating around if you want to vote for a specific pairing you want to see in this.  
> Link:https://www.quotev.com/quiz/9786780/Monokumas-totally-canon-request-for-shipping-orders
> 
> Let me know in the comments what you like and what you are looking forward to. After Chapter 4, it will probably be a week before I'm able to post again.

We were to meet at the beach for an important “update” on our progress. I was straggling along, last to arrive as usual. The sand beneath my feet still felt as euphoric as the day I woke up here. My feet purposely dragged through the sand, chipping away at the dead skin. Nagito brought up the other day that sand was a good way of clearing off dead skin. It felt strange, talking to him in such a casual matter. He often tried to jab in mentions of death and darker topics. I always tried to veer off of darker topics with different things, to which he would always respond with doe-like eyes in admiration.

As I got closer, I noticed everyone was already gathered there, facing a timid looking Monomi. What was troubling her, I wonder?

“Finally Hajime decides to show up!” screamed Ibuki. Ow, ow, that voice always hurts my ears, has she ever heard of toning it down?

“Can’t blame him, he’s usually the last one to whatever meetup we have,” Sonia had stated. “I will reprimand him! You are on cleaning duty with Nagito for the next week!”

Kazuichi stared over at Sonia, drooling comically from his mouth. He reached out toward Sonia, begging, “Oh Sonia, punish me to a week of salvaging on the beach with you!” To be honest, it was a sad sight. The rest of the group quietly giggled at the sight, excluding Monomi, who had begun to cry at this point.

“Well, guys… There’s something I’ve been neglecting to tell you. A secret about your memories. I feel awful for needing to disclose this now but it needs to be done if there’d be any hope left in the world.” Monomi said, those around her ceasing their giggles.

“Something about our memories? Tell us,” Byakuya demanded. His glance turned into a menacing glare. Others around him agreed, pulling their full attention toward Monomi. A small amount of black began to taint her usual pink and white fur.

“Please do not lose the hope you guys have created over the past 2500 days. There’s nothing like what you guys have on this island that you can find elsewhere Ｄｏ͈̬̰ ̬̗ｎ̲͉̙͕͎͕ͅｏｔ͕͕̞̥͓̗̯ ̺͈̙̖̰̤ｄ̖̝̙ｉ̬̳̝̞ｓ͕̤ｐ̭̠̲͍͚̻̳ａ͎̪̳̫͙ｉ̟̤ｒ̣͖͙ ̠ｈ͎ｏｌ̫̦̲͚̳ｄ ͓̞͇͙ｏ̫̣͔͎̜ｎ̖͍ｔ̜̘͕̠͎̘ｏ̰̘ ͎̝͎͖̣̥̰ｈ̗͚̰͕͇̹̫ｏ͕̼̠̪̞ｐ̬ｅ͈͙̬ ̘̳̰̺͍̬ͅ …” Monomi said, her words becoming less understandable…I began to fe el light headed…the haunting laugh of Monokuma became louder as I los t my s e n s e s .


	2. Adviser - Chapter Two

I woke up in darkness. My entire body felt frigid. My fingers investigated the area around me. While groping around in the darkness, my fingers managed to locate a thin layer of cloth separating me from a metallic surface. Where exactly did we end up? My hands slipped underneath the cloth, attempting to find a latch or some sort of switch. I needed some light to properly investigate the area.

But, during my search, I found long strands of hair. They were spread out underneath my body. Odd -- my hair is short from what I remember. Was someone else near me? I extended my arms which were met with equally cold metallic walls. Am I trapped somewhere? My hands then pushed out in a variety of different directions. No response. I pushed harder this time, with the thought of everyone I knew in the back of my mind. Was everyone else caught in the same, cold area too? I shook my head at the thought. We are all Ultimates, surely at least one of us busted ourselves out. I banged much harder this time. This should have caused enough noise to attract someones attention. Someone--anyone--should be able to hear us. We needed help. Monomi had something important to tell us but that darn Monokuma got in the way. The worst part about it was that we never learned about the update regarding our memories. Was this also a piece to our adventure on the island?

Suddenly, I felt a pull from above my head. I closed my eyes, wincing a bit at the blinding light that came soon after the pull. The light gradually fell around my body. I squinted my eyes to see what was the cause of the change in environment. Monomi perhaps? Chiaki? Nagito? Anyone?

"Puhuhuhu! Of course you're the last to wake up! You're so tardy the headmaster had to barge into your quarters! What an insufferable kid you are," spoke that sharp tone of voice...that unbearable...Monokuma. I let out an exasperated sigh at the sight of the bear. His familiar black-and-white getup was an eyesore.

"Why are you here and where is Monomi?" I demanded. I wanted to get to the bottom of everything before the bear got side tracked with his own idiotic plans. I watched as Monokuma continue to pull me out of what appeared to be a refrigerator of some sorts. Other versions of my cell were duplicated on either side of me with a pale red light on one of them.

"Students who are late don't deserve straight answers!" Monokuma replied, sticking both of his hands above his head. He had a menacing glare on his face as he looked down on me. Damn him; how dare he tell me I'm late to something I'm not even aware of?

"Where are the others," I asked. I wanted answers. I wanted to believe in the hope that everyone was ok. Monokuma suddenly covered his bear snot while small sweat droplets came from his face. A slight blush could be seen on his cheeks.

"Oh, you're so worried about the others when you haven't considered your own situation. Take a look at the science supplies and you should have more relevant questions!" Monokuma said. Hah, really, what was more relevant than figuring out where my friends were? I pulled myself out of the weird human drawer before pulling myself to my feet. My body felt heavy as I stood up. I could feel Monokumas' gaze on my body. Upon further inspection, all I had on was a pair of dark blue boxers with Hope Peaks' symbol on the bottom. Weird -- did that creepy bear dress us up too?!?!

I glanced around the science room until I caught the full wind of my current appearance. I now had deep red eyes with long black hair. Who was the person I was looking at, and more importantly, what happened to my body? Sweat began to pool over my body, questioning my existence. I said something to the sound of who am I and what happened to me in an angry fit of rage.

Part of my body felt itself relinquished to another side of me that felt unclaimed for a long time. Another calmer part of me allowed for my eyes to focus now on the startled bear in front of me. Monokumas claws were out and swiping at the air in front of me. What had happened for the few seconds I lost control? Where were the answers? Where were my friends?

Of course the fucking bear doesn't answer.


	3. Rinse, Wash, Repeat - Chapter Three

I followed the stupid bear down the winding stairwells for the school. The place felt oddly familiar. Classrooms, bathrooms, even a pool, maybe this was simply us returning to our school lives? But why invite the disgusting speck of a bear then?

"Now, before you lose yourself in a frenzy again, I'll give you a little hint. We're back at Hopes Peak Academy for an eternity. So, what that means, is that I'm going to be your headmaster for the rest of your waking life. No more of that pesky little sister Monomi," Monokuma explained. He was walking down the hallway, leading me down stairwells and needed turns to get to said stairwells. This bear felt irritating, even more so than when we met at the island originally.

"I don't get it, why would Monomi give herself up for a thing like you to instruct us," I said, thinking aloud. I was highly doubtful this was consented by Monomi. In fact, I had a growing suspicion that he overthrew the island for whatever reason. As we made the descent to lower floors, Monokuma stayed strangely silent. It was like he turned off his listening capabilities. I asked him more questions but he said nothing. What an idiot! I kept myself calm this time, as I was unsure if getting upset was conducive to my current situation. I started to notice cameras and other recording devices like on the island. Was this just another set, another place for us to work hard within the eyes of someone who claimed to be a teacher-type? I shook my head as we approached the 4th set of stairs in the school. I hadn't seen any of my friends from the island yet. Once we went down the 4th set of stairs, Monokuma abruptly stopped. In response I stopped too.

"...Beyond here, you'll see your friends. While it'd be fun to see them doubt you and watch you kill each other, that's not my game right now. So I'd play it safe and not jump down the throats of those that doubt you. To explain this bit, it's good that I have you alone here," Monokuma said. His words felt less scathing than I had expected--something had to be up. I crossed my arms, not satisfied with the incoming information. Why couldn't the bear just show me where everyone was so we could find a way out of this hell hole? I saw Monokuma tilt his head at my body language, looking confused.

"Shouldn't you be happy that I, as headmaster, am instructing a late student?" Monokuma asked, steam fleeting from his ears. I shrugged at him. Why should I give a damn about a bear telling me useless things anyway? And, still, what happened to my body? I glanced around the hallway as an attempt to find the others.

Monokuma blocked my searching vision, rising up from what appeared to be nowhere to block my sight of the winding hallway. A glare was back on the bears' face as steam exited his ears once more.

"Hey, don't ignore your instructor! There's nothing more disrespectful than ignoring me!" Monokuma said, in a louder tone than his previous remarks. I began to chuckle at him, but it was gradually getting out of my vocal range. I began to laugh maniacally, losing control of myself once more.

My eyes felt like the only thing I had some control over. A sword began to materialize in my grasp, swinging it in the general direction of Monokuma. The blade felt light in my hand as I made swift chops at Monokumas body. Was I a swordsman in my previous life? We went back and forth, attempting to exchange blows, but had been left as a mere stalemate. Monokuma hopped on my materialized blade. Within seconds, it broke down into neon red data bits. With the sword gone, my sudden anger dissipated too. Was this really reality? Monokuma slowly fell to the ground, huffing.

"Now now Hajime, you'll need to behave if you want to see your friends. Please believe me, they are worried about you. All we need to do is enter through those doors," Monokuma explained, his paw pointing toward two large doors. A comical heart left his paw as he gestured toward the two wooden doors. Above them, the word "GYM" was scrawled in big bulky letters. I began to take steps toward the doors, hopeful. What if I would find my answers with my friends, in an attempt to gain further understanding of my new appearance? Monokuma obviously felt indifferent about telling me the truth.

I moved through the two bulky doors and Monokuma appeared to have left the area. I had searched behind and in front of me. Where did that bastard go? I was trying my best to keep my cool, breathing slow and closing my eyes for a bit. If my friends saw me as out of character as that, who knows what they would think of me.

I closed the two wooden doors behind me. I saw a large trophy case and some Hope Peak symbols on sashes hanging from the ceiling. In front of me lay two more doors, likely where my friends were. I took another deep breath. I really hope that they were ok.

I pressed forward and opened two more doors to reveal my classmates in a similar condition, in their underwear and highly confused. But, strange, they still looked like how they did on the island...I made eye contact with Nagito first, who took a double take. Nagito fell to the floor in shock. Once the others caught wind of this reaction, they took a look at me.

"Ahhhh! Whose this freak," Kazuichi screamed with a frightened look on his face. As I attempted to raise a hand in protest, my classmates appeared quite withdrawn. They were gradually pulling themselves back toward the gym stage the more steps I took toward them. Eventually, Nekomaru and Akane stood in front of the backward walking crowd.

"Guys, guys, calm down. It's Hajime. Hajime Hinata," I spoke. I could see fear begin to dwindle in some of their eyes, but they still appeared suspicious.

"Don't worry guys, I'll give this guy a shakedown to see if he's telling the truth!" Nekomaru said across the room, his voice carrying in echoes throughout the gym. Akane stood to Nekomarus side, pounding her fist against her open palm.

"And if he resists, I'll be sure to help with beating the guy to a pulp," Akane said, "Besides, I helped with Hiyokos patdown after all." I took a quick read of the rooms atmosphere, my eyes locked onto Hiyokos appearance...she looked older. What was the cause of this body changing experience?

It took several minutes for Nekomaru and Akane to have their way with poking and prodding at my body and brain. During this time others had began to chatter about my changed appearance. The once quiet gym was now teeming with activity, much like regular schools should be. Huh, maybe we did just take a school trip after all. Where were the other students though? Did we come back on a holiday? But, no, it can't be that simple. What of our bodies, what of our memories? And what about that sword that came into my hand?

"Ok, so I don't see anything strange about you but...we still need to verify who you are. So, please restate your name and purpose here!" Nekomaru demanded, Akane crossing her arms as he spoke.

"My name is Hajime Hinata...I'm not sure why I'm here either. Did you guys wake up in some sort of super cold fridge too?" I had asked. Maybe this would be the point where we'd start to work together, cooperate, and finally return to the full normality of life.

A sudden tune began to play on the gyms loud speakers. It felt cheery, but something about the music had an eerie sound to it. Nekomaru began to go across the gym and inspect for any abnormalities. Akane still stood in front of me, looking over my body.

"Hey, are you sure you're Hajime? That hair and those eyes...those are definitely not like they were from the island," Akane asked. Part of me had always been afraid of Akane due to her crazy strength. How modest could I be from here?

"I swear to you, this is how I woke up! Monokuma grappled me from a frozen fridge and took me down here," I explained, trying my best to keep my calm attitude. Today was not the day to make enemies in a new environment.

The music in the room got louder, as if building up to something. Suddenly, from the corner of my eye, I saw Monokuma pounce into view and fall squarely on a podium. What was the bear going to lead us to now? I pointed Akane toward the stage to which she turned around and viewed. The entire room appeared to draw its attention to the stage now.

"Ahem! Testing, testing! This is Monokuma, your headmaster speaking! It is great to see you all today after being separated for so long~" Monokuma spoke. While the words initially sounded sweet, there had to be a catch to all of this. What was his angle? Why did I find it so hard to trust this bear?

"Where is Monomi you lazy piece of shit!" yelled Fuyuhiko.

"Calm down, if need be, I will strike the bear down," Peko interjected.

"What happened to my body you perverted bear!" belted Hiyoko, a red blush overcoming her face. Hiyoko had her hands in fists, racing up to the stage to pummel Monokuma. Sweat droplets began to race on Monokumas' face, a worried look spreading across it. Hiyoko appeared to have stopped in mid run, holding onto her head. What was that bear doing to us?

"Now now young adults, no need to act like children. It's not like I'm gonna force you to kill each other! I gathered you all here today so you can appreciate being back in your old bodies! That meanie Monomi stole your physical bodies and coerced you to participate in an endless summercamp. It took me nearly seven years, but I managed to crack the code she was using to keep you in a tizzy. Now, the bodies you are in now, are what you had beforehand," Monokuma explained. This got the entire crowd up in arms. Everyone began to inspect their bodies like I had did before. During this time, Nagito began to snake his way through to me. As he approached, Akane was too distracted by inspecting her own body to take notice.

"How much do you remember?" whispered Nagito. I tilted my head at him, confused. What could I remember, hell, I didn't even have my own body anymore...or was what Monokuma saying true?

"I'm not sure if I remember anything to be honest. All I remember is having this...real bad fit of rage twice since being in this body," I confessed to Nagito. I watched his facial expression turn demure. Nagito had a pensive look on his face, a hand resting underneath his chin as he stared directly at me. Nagito, as he was about to explain something, Monokuma cleared his voice over the loud speaker.

"Ahem! The headmaster is speaking here! Geez, you guys are rude! Anyway, there's going to be some new rules put into place here. While Monomi liked to have you all under pleasant ignorance of living almost seven years as teenagers, this is the real world now! What you will be doing is hard labor, finding ingredients, building stuff, you know, exactly what you did with Monomi. However, as a better deal, I will not lie and say you will eventually *leave* this school. The only sure way to leave this school is death. While I entertained the idea of having you all kill each other for a chance to leave, I figured that horse has been beaten too many times. So instead, we're going to have ourselves a nice eternity together. But, since you guys still act like kids, I know some of you may turn to murder to solve some sort of issues as your memories will gradually be returned. If that does happen, well, I'll explain that later," Monokuma went on and on and on...part of me wanted to drift to sleep. A small, aching part of me determined that all of this had been heard before, in some sort of far out corner of the universe. Why was I getting bored!!? This was important to know if this was my fate. Monokuma peaked underneath the podium, looking for something.

My body tensed as I felt a hand creep along mine. The surface felt delicate, soft, as if it were a females hand. But Akanes' hand was a lot more muscular than this. My eyes darted to the source, which had came from...Nagito? I rubbed my fingers along his skin, feeling each separate digit. This felt much like a woman, even down to the acrylic nails. What happened to Nagito for him to be in this condition? I looked over at Nagitos face, which had been sweating bullets. His eyes carried a certain worry to them. Why was Nagito holding me like this?

"You're the only one that understands..." mumbled Nagito, as if he had answered my question without hearing it. I gripped his hand to feel his increasing pulse. I hoped that whatever this bear did to us, he would eventually explain.

"Aha, found it!" Monokuma stated, pulling out two blinking neon signs. One had been orange colored while the other was a light blue. Each sign had a symbol on it, one with Hope Peaks symbol and the other with a heart symbol.

"To encourage a more communal experience, I have constructed several thousand scenarios and items for you to build. Instead of separating your individual energy levels, I have pooled all of your strength into one basin. This week I'll give you time to gradually recover your past memories, experiences, among other things. Once it hits day 8, well, that's when the fun begins! Puhuhhuhuuu!" Monokuma said as he placed the two signs on of the gyms upper wall. Nekomaru let out an energized scream, jumping up toward the bear. Akane followed suit.

"Don't you dare leave us hanging like this," screamed Nekomaru as he readied himself to pounce on Monokuma. Just as Nekomaru, Akane, and Monokuma were about to make contact, Monokuma appeared behind the podium again. Nekomaru hit the ceiling along with Akane, both falling onto the concrete floor in a pile.

"You kids, so silly! As headmaster, I am much stronger than all of you. Be sure to rest up this week, since after, you'll be spending the rest of your lives doing manual labor," Monokuma said, waving at us with one hand as he sunk into the floor. What a stupid fucking bear.

I kept my grip on Nagitos hand in hopes of comforting him. Of all my friends, Nagito was the one to least doubt me. It helped control my anger as well as level me into the situation. As Monokumas disappearance settled in on us, we had busted out in a series of out of control speech.

"I don't think I trust that bear..." Peko stated, bringing one hand to the sheathed bamboo sword.

"H-Hold on, we d-don't know what he's c-capable of..." whimpered Mikan, speaking with her eyes closed.

"Who cares what he's capable of, I want to tear him down!" spoke Akane with acidity to her words, too fired up again to notice much.

"We must not act too harshly, we do not know the strength of our enemy," Sonia cried out, putting both of her hands in the air.

"Yeah, yeah, we need to be careful about this. I'm with you Sonia," Kazuichi said, his pupils being comically replaced by heart symbols.

"The enemy that faces us now may have dark powers of a shaman to contort our human forms like this. I would stake the fate of my dark devas and our own in exploring the area we are currently in!" Gundam suggested. Though, like most times, I was unsure of what he was getting at.

"Let's explore the school! He said this is our school riiight? Then I bet if we explore a bunch our memories will come on a'pouring!" Ibuki said in her usual, high pitched ear drowning matter. Ow, Ow, Ow...I still felt Nagitos hand gripped tightly with mine. I glanced over at Nagito to see if his facial expression had changed much. His face still looked like it had been deep in thought, thinking of something.

"Oooh, I forgot students! Since we are using the old dorm setup, we're actually short a room. So if a couple of guys don't mind sharing a room, go for it. Otherwise, Sonia will be roomless for the night~" Monokuma appeared in the middle of us, seemingly out of nowhere. A comical heart left his outstretched paw.

"Sonia??? Without a room?? Unacceptable!" Byakuya exclaimed.

"Exactly! I vote Hajime and Komeada split a room," Chiaki suggested. Those within the room nodded in agreement. Huh -- why us two -- why not anyone else?

"I'd be honored," Nagito said with a smile, turning over to me. An awkward grin came across my face, trying not to offend. Usually I enjoyed space from others, but having seen Nagito in his weakest moments, he likely needed someone there. I needed to be more agreeable to regain trust too.

"Great, with that settled, I'll put name plates on the dorm rooms. In your underwear you should find your e-handbooks! And, you guessed it, they're exactly the same as they were on the island. The main two things that have changed, however, are the rules and the map. This school is pretty big so use it to your advantage if you get lost. Alright, ta ta~" Monokuma explained, fading from existence once again as Akane and Nekomaru attempt to corner him.

"Rule number 3: Violence against the headmaster is prohibited. If a blow intended for the headmaster connects with said headmaster, the student initiating the blow will be given a punishment! I suggest you read your handbooks, Puhuhuhuuu~! Take care students," Monokuma spoke from the loud speakers. I was angry again. I could nearly feel the red of my pupils invade my vision. However, just as I felt my body beginning to step out of control, Nagito squeezed my hand.

"Are you ok? Do you need to go and rest for a bit before exploring?" asked Nagito in a hushed tone. I felt myself pull back into control, glancing over to Nagito. I gave a simple nod, feeling the tiredness of my body seeping in. I did a quick sweeping glance over at everyone, reading through the new handbooks.

"Ooo, there's so much stuff here," commented Hiyoko,"I wonder if they have traditional sweets in the stock room. Mahiru, will you help me explore?" Hiyoko gently pulled against Mahirus skirt. Mahirus' head initially looked down, forgetting the change in Hiyokos height. I watched as she blushed at her blunder, nodding aggressively to Hiyoko.

"Yeah, let's go! Let's find a way out and return to our previous lives," Mahiru said with a bright smile, her eyes looking back to connect with mine for a few seconds. I felt her glance turn into a glare, huffing at me. Hiyoko leaned over to Mahirus ear to whisper something. Both scurried out of the room like high schoolers, announcing loudly that they were off to search.

In groups of two or three, people began to file out of the room doing their own research. Before the last group left, composed of Chiaki, Mikan, and Teruteru, they all had approached Nagito and I.

"Please rest if you need to, I know you guys seem tired based on your lack of reactions to Monokumas words," Chiaki stated, a serious look on her face. Odd, I think this is the most serious look I'd seen on Chiakis face outside of a video game environment.

"Y-Yes, please. If what Monokuma said is t-true, we may e-e-experience some trauma of remembering events. T-To be honest, I'm p-pretty scared m-mmyself," Mikan added. She had a fearful look to her eyes, sweating more than usual when she's nervous. Teruteru seemed to be pretty relaxed, staying close to Mikans side.

"Oh, don't worry! This cool dude will save any pretty lady from feeling down in the dumps. I suggest we leave this gym so this couple can enjoy themselves," Teruteru teased, gesturing at our hands. I deftly covered the acrylic nails on Nagitos hand with my hand, holding it close. I turned away from the others, slightly embarrassed and blushing.

"Nagito was feeling nervous so I held his hand, completely innocent," I mumbled to them. Chiaki, Mikan, and Teruteru had no response, shrugging off my comment most likely. As they left the gym, Nagito released my hand.

"I think it's time we'd retire. Leave the searching to them while we figure out what happened to us," Nagito whispered close to me. I think, if I look close enough, I could see a blush on Nagitos face.


	4. Hope[ful] Thearpy - Chapter Four

When Nagito and I made our way out of the gym, we opened our e-handbooks to try and find our dorm room. While in here, I figured, might as well look at the full listing of rules.

_Rule 1 - No one is to leave the school premise without permission -- those who try to leave school grounds without consent will be punished._

_Rule 2 - All students are to be kept (relatively) safe. Please resist urges to kill other students and faculty members._

_Rule 3 - Violence against the headmaster is prohibited. If a blow intended for the headmaster connects with said headmaster, the student initiating the blow will be given a punishment._

_Rule 4 - All students are to be working toward two goals - cleanliness and the current class project. If the cleanliness chart falls below standards, all students will be reported to cleaning duties for three days straight. If this inhibits the ability to complete a school project, a punishment will occur to all students!_

_Rule 5 - There are two distinct times that occur during a typical day at Hopes Peak -- day time and night time. Day time typically consists of three distinct types of actions: cleaning, salvaging, and resting. Night time is strictly limited to students resting. We wouldn't want someone to fall asleep on the job!_

_Rule 6 - If an incident occurs between two students which results in the injury or death of another, the headmaster will call a council. From there, the rules will be established._

_Rule 7 - To lower overhead in the school budget, be sure to clean up behind yourself. There are cameras almost everywhere -- you will be caught littering! And punished!_

As I finished reading the rules, I felt an acrylic hand graze the inside of my palm. I glanced up at Nagitos' face, seeming sick to his stomach. I was frightened that he was getting into an insanity bout like I did. I squeezed his hand in hopes to comfort him. Nagitos’ eyes widened slightly from the touch, a smile spreading across his face.

"Thank you for helping someone like me. I think people are really looking for a target to aim blame at right now. This hand of mine would be the first thing to trigger people to start the accusations. But, from the new handbook rules, no one should try and kill each other outright..." Nagito whispered to me. I nodded to his words, my free hand gesturing toward the hallway before us. We began to walk down the hallway, the dim lighting not giving off a school atmosphere. Who would construct a school this way and why was it empty? Was this really Hopes Peak Academy?

* * *

Once we found the dormitory area, finding our room was a breeze. After walking past the long listing of other rooms and hanging a left, our room was located on in the middle of the hallway. Our names were posted on our rooms as Monokuma told us he’d do.  The room door had a regular doorknob but also a strange black patch where one would expect a keyhole to be.

“I think we need to scan one of our handbooks,” Nagito said in observation. I pulled out my handbook and scanned mine against the black patch in the door. After some sci-fi noises were made, the door popped open.  I further opened the door and noted the camera that were posted within our own room.

"Looks like the bear doesn't like us having privacy," muttered Nagito, pulling his feminine hand away from mine. He pushed his way further into the room. I locked the door behind me.

Upon further inspection, there was a glaring issue already with the room setup. There was only one bed. Nagito didn't seem to find an issue with it though, laying down immediately. I ignored this for now, taking inventory of what else was in the room.

There was a monitor perched a few feet up and away from the opened bathroom door. A light hung from the top of the room with a single light bulb screwed in. The windows had metal over them with screws shot in. Would it kill the bear to let in some sunlight? Beneath the windows were drawers, one of which had been open. The opened drawer had been filled with academy uniforms, boxers, among other clothing items. Part of me wondered why we were half-naked in the first place, the other part really wanted to climb into bed.

"Hey Hajime, don't worry about searching things now. We need sleep," Nagito said. What, where was I supposed to sleep? The floor?

"We don't really have enough beds for me to do that," I replied, my eyes looking toward the doorway. Maybe I would do some searching while Nagito slept his worries away like the kid he always acts like? I heard the bed shuffle behind me. My eyes returned to the bed to see Nagito now on the nearby floor with a pillow.

"If you prefer me on the floor, I'll be grateful for it. I'm glad I get to stay in a room at the very least. This is...a lot more than what I used to have, if I'm recalling correctly," Nagito said, getting himself situated on the ground. Now he had me feeling bad. I grunted at his response, stepping over him to lay in the bed. 

"Well, if you don't mind, I guess we could share," I muttered as quick as possible. I could see Nagito immediately stand upright.

"Really? I can share a bed with you?" Nagito asked, hovering over me with an excited expression on his face. He was clutching the pillow he was previously laying his head on. I turned away to avoid his stare. Hopefully Nagito didn't get the wrong idea. This was Monokumas’ mistake after all. I felt Nagitos’ weight equalize the on the other side of the bed. I tried to close my eyes and sleep, but a growing anger began to build in me. I could feel my memories slowly start to peel back into my brain, the anger, the lust for blood...my control was fading fast.

I turned my sights to Nagito in hopes to calm myself. His eyes had been closed but slowly reopened due to the bed movement. His previous smile grew when my attention was turned to him. For some reason, it helped quell my anger just a bit. My memories weren’t being clear enough for me to see the full past I had, only quick screenshots of memories. Ugh, those terrible kids…what they did to Towa. Why didn’t I try stopping them? Why do I remember so vividly that…Nagito was there? 

I opened my mouth but an acrylic finger placed itself against my lips. The red nail finishing came close to my nose while the actual finger curved my lips inward.

“Tell me, how do you handle the rage Hajime? When the memories start coming back to you?” Nagito asked, his eyes looking straight into my own. I wasn’t sure how to answer that type of question. Since I lost it and attacked Monokuma twice, I was scared to answer the question truthfully. But, with Nagitos' eyes piercing through my own, how was I to lie? Nagito always came across as extremely perceptive even when we were on the island. The red-nailed finger trailed from my lips down the side of my cheek, bumping into the white bedding below us.

“It’s…difficult. Having someone around to tether me to reality helps plenty though. Like in the gym when we started holding hands. For some reason, my rage didn’t take over then,” I explained. Nagito scooted closer to me. There wasn’t more than a couple of inches of space between our bodies. 

“I’m glad to have helped at all. But that still doesn’t answer my question. What happened when it engulfs you? Before you met with everyone else, what did you do?” Nagito whispered.  His words felt heavy. My thoughts began to be muddled with everything that had happened thus far. The memories of building things, carefree day offs, trips with everyone, they all began to trickle away. I could feel the rage inside me build up again. I had to resist better than how I was already doing. If I didn’t get control…if I couldn’t resist the temptation of murder…all that we know will crumble beneath us. The hope I had grown with Monomi would fade in a fit of rage and apathy.

I could feel my hand, shaking, beginning to raise above Nagitos figure. I personally did not want to hurt him. If anything, I wanted Nagito to run as far as possible. Room with someone else before my murderous rage took over my psyche. My left hand began to shake violently above his figure, turning into a fist. I had to fight this harder, fight the memories, fight the overwhelming despair!

I felt a sudden mesh of hair and skin dive into my chest. This succeeded in ceasing my fist before it did damage to anyone. Smooth skin touched my own. I could feel Nagitos’ face nuzzle my chest, which scrambled my already fried brain. My shaking hand gradually stopped, my fist unraveling with a bloody palm. I brought it to Nagitos back.

“I’m sorry…I feel so awful,” I mumbled into Nagitos ear, my lips shaky. With an innocent question like that pushing me toward the edge, I was grateful that Nagito suggested we rest a bit before interacting intensely with the others. How was I supposed to compose myself in front of everyone? What would it be like if someone more violently demanded questions to be answered? Would I…kill?

Tears began to stream down from my face. Choked sobs escape my mouth, trying to hush themselves before Nagito caught wind. But it was far too late to hide my own emotions. Nagito raised his head in alarm. A frown was on his face now. Images of our previous interactions flashed through my eyes. My lips quivered, struggling to keep in my bellowing wails.

“It’s ok Hajime. I’m remembering those terrible things we did too,” Nagito cooed. His voice felt comforting. His touch was one thing that consistently quelled the intense rage trying to consume me. I pulled his form closer to mine. I could feel the blood on my hand cake onto Nagitos’ back. My hand began to massage the soft texture of Nagitos pale skin. Why did his arms feel so much like home?

I could feel Nagito begin to rock me to either side, shifting his body such that my head was on his chest. My feet were overflowing over edge of the bed, causing me to scoot up further onto Nagitos’ chest. My hands clutched onto Nagitos form. Listening closely, I could hear his steady heartbeat. 

"Do you think the others are...?" I asked, not able to finish my sentence. There would be no way the others were feeling this great amount of despair as well. Monokuma was likely not as callous as he could be, especially by his tone as he escorted me to the others. This pain was too much to handle, and in one week, we were supposed to be carefree workers like we were on the island? Monokumas' words echoed in my mind.

" _While I entertained the idea of having you all kill each other for a chance to leave, I figured that horse has been beaten too many times. . ._ " What if that stupid fucking bear was downplaying that point to only reveal the opposite later? I could feel my pulse triple, red invading my vision again. Grr, that bear makes me feel so damned angry! And why make it sound like something you've done so many times before, how many times could someone gather high schoolers for some sort of sadistic killing game!

I could feel Nagitos arms squeeze around me tight. Nagito took my entire body, pulling it from its original position on the bed into a new one. My eyes were right below his neck, my feet over the edge of the bed. The heat that was coursing through my veins went directly to my face. My eyes jumbled around the scenery, finding it hard to focus on the face presented in front of me.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked with a bright blush. Why was I getting so flustered over simple body movements? My eyes struggled to focus on the gentle smile on Nagitos face. His arms wrapped around my waist, securely locking my body on his.  

"Trying to ease your nerves. Feeling you get so riled up makes me nervous. Especially due to what we were capable of in the past. I don't want either of us performing actions we'll regret," Nagito spoke. His tone felt oddly condescending. It pissed me off in a strange way. My hands slowly drifted from below his shoulder to the innermost section of his exposed back. I could envision the large blood stain that was now imprinted leading to his shoulder. Why could I not control the rage that was coming with my memories?

"W-Why am I like this? Before, I tried to kill that dumb bear...and now I'm barely controlling myself around you," I spoke, my eyes drifting over to the closed door. These were words from the heart. Heartful words that I could only recall speaking in the summery winds of the beach. Why did they hurt so much more here than there? Was it the school atmosphere? The dumb bear? The change in appearance?  Nagitos lips came close to my ear.

"Ah, so that's who you acted violently against. To be honest, I attacked him several times when coming to. I'm not sure about the others though. Once I got my bearings I could stay calm. You've helped a lot with that too," Nagito answered. His left hand ran up from my waist to my face. Nagito gently pulled at my face, to which I let out a laugh. Maybe his blasé disposition to the scenario allowed him to hide his rage more effectively.  It helped to also know that I wasn't the only one to try and beat that bear to bits. Those words calmed me greatly, effacing my current frustration levels.

I leaned into the curve of Nagitos shoulder. I could hear him humming a tune. Maybe it was time to relax now, to forget about talking and fall asleep in each other’s arms? We couldn't tell people about this for several reasons though. Particularly due to Nagitos change in limbs—the entire reason we become this physically drawn in the first place. Partially due to the reactions our peers would have of us being so close together. Hiyoko would never have an end to it. Mahiru would never talk to me again due to her warped sense of masculinity. The list could go on and on. My questions about Towa could be saved for another time.

"Are you ok, sleeping like this?" asked Nagito, thumping his head against mine in a delicate motion. I bumped his shoulder in response, gentle love taps to signify my attention. The blush that had been on my face was currently dissipating as I became (slightly) more comfortable with our intimacy level.

"If it keeps us calm, yes," I whispered to him, my body shivering as Nagitos hands shifted my body fully onto the bed. I cannot understand why the pieces of my past felt like they were jamming themselves too quickly into my brain. I could barely handle the information given. But, this moment, lying here with Nagito, was all I needed now. No buildings or trips across the school or anything. Just a familiar face holding me close.  I closed my eyes as a step toward sleep. Our door had been locked, no one could come in without one of our handbooks, and we still had six days to explore ourselves. We could find a way to defeat the bear before we had to do that stupid manual labor he mentioned. Things were looking up.

Frigid lips slid across my neck. Teeth nipped at my skin which caused me to pull away from the feeling.  The heat that was coursing through my veins went directly to my face. My eyes jumbled around the scenery once more. Nagitos’ chuckling face was above mine again. A mismatch set of hands went up to playfully cover Nagitos face. Huh—well if this **was** a game—I would certainly not lose! I pulled his hands away from his face, pressing my lips against his own. Take that! 

I could feel the force behind my kiss being returned twofold, Nagito pulling his hands away from my grasp. Those hands of his would find their way about my waist, securing himself to me. Whatever this was becoming, it was keeping me from my desire to kill. Monomi would have preferred us to experience high school romance to murder mysteries. Nagitos lips pried mine open. His tongue, wily and perverted, left round outlines of its tip within my mouth. Who knew he would be such an expert at this type of thing!

My mouth double downed to the challenge presented. My lips pressed firmly against Nagitos, tongue attempting to dissolve the action he was drawing within the confides of our mouths.  I could feel additional weight situate itself on top of me. How selfish of this little marshmallow brat! Nagito began to pull away gradually, my face following his. My body propped itself into a half-sitting position, Nagito sitting on my lap with his legs in a taiko position. My hands supported my upper body as I melded into Nagitos face. My legs shut themselves closed to give Nagito room to sit down. As my hands rested against the bedding and took a more passive position of the overseeing actions, I let my mind let go blank. This is what I recalled of the old environment (though with a bit less romance). I could finally relax. My eyes closed to take in all the affection Nagito was giving me. I would need to catch Nagito off guard as payback for this one day.

After a long, sensual session of canoodling, Nagito pulled himself away from me and laid on the other end of the bed. His face was still toward me but his eyes appeared heavy. I smiled as he pulled away, adjusting so that the covers could be pulled over the both of us. Somehow, the despair of earlier today felt far away. I never expected Nagito to have such a gentle air to him. On the island, all he ever wanted to talk about was his luck and our fate. Now, we were laying in the same bed, relaxing, letting the days ahead of us come as it may. Nagitos’ arms found their way around me again, his face nuzzling my neck.

"I never thought I'd get a chance to see you this vulnerable Hajime. It makes me happy to get this close to a symbol of hope like you," Nagito said. I reached down underneath the sheets to hold the hands holding me. 

"Isn't this what we wanted after all? A battle to see if hope or despair will win," I asked, though, I doubted it was fully me. Part of words felt like this Izuru I had been years ago. Nagitos head steadied against the pillow my head was on, leaning into my shoulder. Nagito turned his head to leave small kisses along my cheek, reaching my lips in a passionate, everlasting collision.

"VA VA VAUUUSE!" Monokumas words cut into the aura of the room. Suddenly, the door to our room was open and screams were made. Luckily, most of our bodies had been covered by the blanket. Otherwise, it may have been a total fallout. The four that had entered out room were as followed: a pesky Monokuma along with fully uniformed Teruteru, Kazuichi, and Sonia.

"Taylooooor Swiift!" screamed Teruteru from the pit of his stomach. What, who even was that?  I could feel Nagito sink into the covers. Was he that embarrassed of being caught with me like this?

"I-I am at a lack of w-words," spoke Kazuichi. His face appeared devoid of color. His pink hair contrasted against his ghostly pallor. A hand covered his mouth.

"I will do my best to keep this a secret, as I know same sex relationships are typically shunned upon in Japanese society due to the lowering birthrates...I support you both with my fullest heart!" Sonia spoke with vigor, though her tone was respectfully lower than the other two. Nagito stayed underneath the covers, his regular hand gripping onto mine tightly.

"Ooo, a budding romance I see~ I only wanted a line or two for a commercial in this love story.  Since your friends got worried that you weren’t answering to their knocks earlier, they gave me a call to open your door! Just a note that’ll be updated in the e-handbooks, all rooms are soundproof! The doorbells are still in maintenance until tomorrow morning. Your friends wanted to have a big dinner to discuss new discoveries. I'm sure you guys will have lots to bring to the table," Monokuma teased with an idiotic blush spread across his face. I grunted at him, grinding my teeth in frustration. I could feel Nagitos hand grip mine tighter, likely getting into his own rage by the turn of events.

"We're not hungry, thanks! We'd like to be left alone for the night. We'll get our own food later!" I replied with a diplomatic tone. I didn't have time to make enemies nor a fool of myself. Underneath the covers, I held onto Nagitos' hand tighter. If we were to survive this place, we needed to control our own emotions before prodding at our environment. Killing was exactly what this bear likely wanted with a side of mindless chatter.

"Whatever you say guys! Hey, if you're hungry and don't mind a third, I'm always ready to go!" Teruteru spoke (a bit too loudly for my taste).

"Jeez, stop that Teruteru. You're probably creeping them out! Anyway, Hajime, erm....I hope this doesn't change our relationship. I just, you know, wanna stay friends? I don't know how this works, I never had a friend like you. I'll stick to Sonias word and not tell a soul. Unless someone asks of course," Kazuhichi said, ending with a wide smile.  As much as I wanted to protest, Sonia appeared to have it covered when standing in front of the three.

"Listen, you cannot let this secret leave the four of us! We have interrupted them in a time of vulnerability! We all have had a disorientating day. So, under my command, the contents of this room will remain in the closet so to speak!" Sonia spoke, though her last words were a bit on the nose. I heard a quiet cackle from underneath the covers, likely Nagito taking the situation a lot less seriously than he should. Teruterus' snarky laugh came out soon after, holding his hands on his stomach as he shook his head.

"Oh man, this is funny! But, I guess, having something to hold over your heads will help when the chores start a-rolling in. Sweet sweet revenge. But seriously, later tonight, you guys and me?" Teruteru tried to say cooly, giving me moe eyes...I think I'm going to be sick.

"Alright students, I think we need to leave this lovely dovey couple alone! I think I'll file this one under psychological punishments if you disobey orders," Monokuma stated, his hands covering his mouth, "And what you were saying before we entered the room will become public." My ears perked at what Monokuma had said, but it appeared the trio near the bear had not taken notice to it.

"Fine, fine. Just lock the door on your way out. We'll meet up with you guys tomorrow to search around the school," I advised, "And no thanks Teru for the offer. The food may be nice though."

As Teruteru tried to make more snide remarks, by Sonias command, Kazuhichi dragged him out of our room. The door made a quick snap noise at the shutting of it.

"That bear will be the end of us, " Nagito said as his head peaked up from underneath the covers. Something in his childish demeanor calmed my anger on the subject.

"Probably," I answered with a heavy sigh.  Nagito gave me a quick peck on my cheek before heading to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all I have written so far and will update once a week(or as much as my full-time job lets me). Again, if you want to see a specific ship/interaction, vote in the survey below!  
> Link:https://www.quotev.com/quiz/9786780/Monokumas-totally-canon-request-for-shipping-orders


	5. The Jolly Knife{School Life} - Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was one hard chapter to make, since it involved so many characters I'm not used to writing. This was originally a much LONGER chapter, but decided to split it into two so the latter portion of this can be more fleshed out. We're getting close to the first murder everyone! Let me know in the comments below who you think we'll be getting killed off and whose gonna kill who ^_~
> 
> If I'm lucky, I'll be able to post the corresponding portion of this chapter by Sunday night(a day for now for me).

I ended up doing cooking prep with the two most annoying people here. Not that I hated each of them separately, but together they were a mess. It’s like trying to mix oil with water.

  
“There needs to be more poultry in this dish and there’s no arguing that,” argued Byakuya. We were to help prep dinner for everyone and during which discuss our findings. Due to the unluckiness of my pull, I was stuck with these fools until Teruteru returned.

“How dare you suggest such folly be done with these hands of poison! It would be a deathwish to all in the vicinity if these hands were to touch such food!” retorted Gundham in one of his tirades regarding how physical contact with him was “poison” and all that he would touch would “put ourselves at a grave risk of certain death”. I bet it was more like him expecting to spend his day playing with those hamsters. I wasn’t expecting to be picked but I’m not the one complaining.  They kept going back and forth, the work still not getting done, roughly 10 minutes passing since dividing tasks.

Upon the discussion of his little pets hanging from him, I opted to have them in a crate near the open doorway. I didn’t want someone to glare at us due to one of Gundhams’ freakin Hamtaros hairs getting into the food. They kept chirping incessantly as they fueled my fire to get out of the kitchen as soon as I could. I hadn’t paid much attention to which were what or what their names were.  

“Alright you two! Man up and make a compromise! I know some people here would be ok eating something that’s mainly veggies, but knowing Akane especially, she would prefer some meat be cooked for dinner. It sucks, there’s no top quality premade food like there was on the island, and I get it, you guys have opposing views. But we need to start prepping or else everyone will be eating crappy food from the storage room. So, as a middle ground, I suggest Gundham works on the side dishes while Byakuya works on the meats. If you need help doing more prep work, well, give me a call. Let’s just get things set up so we aren’t starving,” I spoke, blowing a piece of my red hair away from my eyes. Byakuya looked a bit stunned at first, but then closed his eyes.

“That is acceptable,” stated Byakuya.

“My hands are hardly qualified to handle foods which we are assigned to prepare. But, with the help of gloves, assistance may be possible,” Gundham said. And then we were finally doing what we were told to do ages ago; prep the food. Although both boys seemed to know what they were doing, we were behind in the prepping process. This is what we were supposed to be doing ages ago.

After five minutes of micromanaging, I sat in one of the metal chairs we brought in from the dining room. I was positioned in front of the camera turning my way. I stuck my tongue out in response, in the high likelihood  that the dumb bear was watching us. I was already hating it here with the school atmosphere added back into my life. I could only remember blotches of memories too, and even then, how was I to trust them? The people in my memories did look like younger versions of ourselves. The pictures I took appeared like actual homes, families, happy people. But, what if this was some weird trick by that black-and-white bear? I took a glance over at the arrangements of knifes hanging on the ceiling.

There appeared to be a set of six knifes set up, with the second largest one missing. Huh—when did that happen? I did a sweeping look around the kitchen in search of the missing knife. Gundham situated himself over the large tower of veggies, plucking out the best-looking ones while throwing the rotten produce to the trashcan. His face appeared demure, yet oddly sad. What—a guy can’t live a minute or two away from those stupid hamsters of his? And, on top of that, he was barely sifting through the ingredients. No gloves either; pfft, what a terrible bluff. Final call: No knife on Gundham.  Byakuya began to break down a large chicken. While using a wide, flat chef knife, Byakuya was firmly out of the consideration of having the missing knife.

My eyes returned to the knife set, which triggered a frightening memory…blood, everywhere. Crying from my classmates. The swirls of despair in our eyes. The knife from the wall…oh no…please let go of it! There’s no need for that here. The kitchen around me transformed into a narrow cobblestone alleyway. The exit was too blinding in light for me to see clearly. A shadowy figure came out from the light, its identity obscured by the conditions. An outline of a hand pokes out from the figure. A smooth, slender weapon appeared to be in the hand too.  The missing knife from the kitchen matched the shape and size of the object in hand. I attempted to back up and run away, but, a bloody concrete wall blocked my exit. I turned around and saw who the figure had been. To my surprise, fear, and anxiety, it had been someone I was hoping to be fictitious. Her curls became more pronounced with each step she took. That twisted look she gave me that fateful day of admitting murder, it was on her face here again. The front of her blouse had been drenched in blood.  What was Sato doing here?

“Hey Mahiru, I finally got that bitch. You know, the sister? She actually wants to say hi to you right now,” Sato said, her hidden hand revealing the severed head of Natsumi. Blood trickled from Natsumis’ mouth. Cuts pried opened her mouth even more, through her dimples and near the edges of her neck. Drained of all blood and life, Natsumi was...dead.  Where—how—why—I’m scared! I’m scared scared scared scared of everything, including my friends! Was Sato a friend? I’m not sure. She was holding a fucking severed head for Christ sake—was this even legal?

This false reality construction crumbled with the sound of sandals knocking against the kitchens’ concrete floor. I saw a large blond ponytail enter the room. Snapping to, I realized I had been clutching my hands so tightly that they were beet red. Was this some sort of PTSD from the events I had witnessed when I was younger? I had to distract myself now to focus on what the objective was today. I would just need to avoid using the knifes.

Either way, Hiyoko—what was she doing here? Wasn’t she supposed to be searching the remainder of the 4th floor?  I waved at her but her eyes seemed to be locked with Gundhams’ slow moving hands. As she approached, he appeared interred in the food around him.

 “Hey, you! Sonia sent me over to give you a note. She said to read it right away,” Hiyoko stated, nearly screaming her words. I watched Gundham turn and accept the paper, opening it. After a minute of reading, Gundham composed himself, seeming to get ready to leave the kitchen.

“Hey! You still need to pick out produce!” I reprimanded, not letting him off that easy. Who did he think he was, just as he was prepping, to up and leave? I huffed to show my irritation through and through.

“I have been called upon by Sonia to discuss matters! I regretfully leave my post of side dish duty,” Gundham spoke, making his way out of the door.

Four hamsters hopped into Gundhams scarf, securely wrapping themselves deep within the cloth. They all, annoyingly enough, sounded much louder with the return to their pale master. I rolled my eyes at the man as he was exiting the kitchen. How pathetic of him to rely on rodents for company. Part of me could feel the embarrassment slick onto me by the slightest relation to him. Wait—why was I feeling so haranguing right now? Hiyoko let out an obnoxious laugh to clear me of my previous thoughts. Byakuya turned to us and attempted to shush us with some angry eyes, but I shrugged him off. He can deal with his poultry.  

“What’s funny, I just lost the person doing produce prep for Teruteru!” I asked, a bit upset myself. I sat up from my post and began to walk toward the four piles of ingredients Gundham was shuffling through. Piles of carrots, cabbage, onion, and bell pepper were just beginning to formulate. I heard footsteps approach me, slow at first, but then quickened.  I can feel the now tall shadow of Hiyoko overwhelm me. I still hadn’t made myself accustom to the new size Hiyoko was.

“I think Sonia has a crush on Gundham~ Tehehe,” Hiyoko spoke with a childish tone to it. Was she not getting the random flashbacks of pain like everyone else? Or did she choose to ignore the images and act as if we were at Hopes Peak?

“I don’t think that’s the case. Maybe they just needed to have some alone time together,” I replied, beginning to sort through the food in front of me. Why did I always end up getting stuck with some guys slack like this? I could hear Hiyoko burst into another rampant round of laughter.

“But Mahiruuuu. Sonia looked super desperate for someone other than herself to deliver the note. And she was all hot in the face. That slut,” mused Hiyoko. Although Hiyokos’ words felt scathing to Sonia, I was fairly sure Hiyoko was at least being blunt about what she saw. Why would Sonia appear that way?

“Maybe she was actually hot and needed to let out some steam. Or, there was an urgent matter with some sort of animal, that could be the reason too,” I explained. Ew, weird spot on the cabbage. I threw the cabbage away to remember more spot memories. In accordance to try and get something done around here, I tried to avoid thinking of the word twilight.

“What do you mean? I mean, if that’s not entirely the case,” Hiyoko stated, “Then she had a lewd face for no reason. And why try and meet someone in the storage room other than to confess your love!” It was apparent; Hiyoko was a shit-talker. But it didn’t bother me any. She was one of the few females here that could talk about normal things and not be ate up in their ultimate abilities.

“Storage—h-hey, did you read that note before giving it to him?” I asked, just now realizing the context. I was getting through the last bit of sorting at this point, having about eight of each category neatly placed on wide ceramic plates.

“Of course! That read like a sappy romance drama” Hiyoko said, mocking the tone of Sonias’ voice, “‘I am desperate to speak to you regarding these urgent matters and incoming memories. Please meet me in the storage room closest to the kitchen. I will be waiting~’” Maybe Hiyoko didn’t understand love confessions? Or, maybe even, barely understood love itself?

“You shouldn’t invade other peoples’ privacy. But, at least we know they’re not plotting murder or anything,” I responded, lifting the collected cabbage ceramic plate over to the cooking space. I gently placed down the plate on the grey cooking area.  

“Who caarres? We’re in a weird school with a weird bear. Anyway, once you get done prepping, will you play billiards with me in the rec room? I’m bored,” Hiyoko asked. Well, whatever kept her from gossiping and such, I’d be ok with.

“Sure, sure, but I need to put the other plates up,” I answered, turning to grab the plate of onions now. I wasn’t going to tuck tail and hide from work like Gundham did.

“Then I’ll be able to spill more about how I think Hajime changed,” whispered Hiyoko, which nearly resulted in me dropping the onion plate. Ugh—get ahold of yourself Mahiru! That bear and that idiot don’t belong in your head while you’re doing other things.

“I-I think I would rather like to hear from Hajime directly about the cosmetic change though, Hiyoko,” I mused. It would feel like a disservice to Hajime and our growing friendship if I just believed everything anyone told me.

  
“Oooh shush it, you know you want to hear more. Also, I think I just encountered a juicy secret too,” Hiyoko stated in a soft tone, giggling a bit. I placed down the onions, readying myself to grab onto the carrots now.

“I’m sure Hajime will tell us in time,” I laughed, shaking my head. I had to stay carefree or else the jealousy would sweep in. What—jealousy—I couldn’t be jealous over a guy that bland. He was just a guy, like any other guy, who would room with another guy because of the spacing issues. No jealousy on my end—nope, just a girl who likes taking photos.  When I placed down the carrot covered ceramic plates, Hiyoko dived close by my ear.

“Well, Sonia did just come from Hajimes’ room. She designated herself to knock on everyones door to let them know of the situation. She said, what they found, would be hidden away in a closet. Don’t you want to learn more,” egged on Hiyoko. I felt my face become devoured in a blush. No anger, no jealousy—he was just probably in an awkward situation. Why else would it be kept secret? I was stolid at the sound of such words, not moving for a few minutes.

“Ah, and I think there’s something else you should know too. I think I remember Hajime being one of those lowly Reserve course students—you probably won’t believe that *from me though*,” Hiyoko stated with a pouting face. I glanced over her, a blush still overtaking my face.  How was I supposed to respond to these things? Why was Hiyoko spreading around so much gossip, especially to me?

“Step aside girls, it’s time for the real chef to do work!” Teruteru announced himself into the room, Kazuichi following. They appeared to be much more carefree about the situation than I was. I let out a heavy sigh, explaining to Teruteru the situation and apologizing up and down.

“Don’t worry about it, just give me a peck on the loins and you’ll be fine,” Teruteru spoke with a line of blood coming from his nose. I gave him a good bop on the head before leaving, that’s for sure. Kazuichi finished up what I had been working on as Hiyoko and I left the area.

“Don’t you wanna spy? Learn more about your crush?” whispered Hiyoko in the most hideous tone I had heard from her tonight. But, despite this, I still gave a nod. How pitiful am I…to resort to this? After leaving the dining room, we hung two rights before we approached the storage room door.


	6. The Jolly Knife II {School Life} - Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another really difficult chapter to make since it has two characters I'm not used to writing. But please enjoy! Leave your thoughts below!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As requested via the survey, Gundham and Sonia!

 

I entered the room without much trouble.  The lighting in here was nearly nonexistent. The darkness was thick and the ability to see was only possible for my Dark Devas. All four had crawled off me to search the room as I groped around for another light. Was this a setup by someone else, as I had not seen Sonia at all! I could feel my own pulse quicken. I tried to relax myself as my Dark Devas had ran without giving me much warning of danger. I could always trust their judgement.

Suddenly, I felt light strike me from above. Blinding at first, I closed my eyes for a second before reopening them, slowly, to adjust for the lighting change. Next to the shining stage light was Sonia, sitting upon a large metal frame. With the newly introduced lights, I saw my Four Devas skitter across the storage room, poking around the different boxes and containers present.  I took a closer look at the metal frame Sonia perched herself on. There appeared to be two larger components brought together by a smaller, rectangular frame in the middle. The light that had shined on me was placed in the middle console of the metal frame. Of all the places I had searched today, this had to be the most cluttered.

“I am glad you came so soon! I apologize for the matter you discovered the room in. I am organizing the products we have stored here by functionality and relevancy,” Sonia explained. However, the atmosphere in here felt much darker than she was leading on. The room not only looked messy but no sign of organization.

Boxes and lids were placed around the cluttered room with no sign of order. Cham-P appeared to have felt this malevolent atmosphere by the twitchiness of his movements. Part of his paw touched a red lid, to which he then skittered between my feet. A resounding ‘click’ sound was made afterward. I would need to give him some sunflower seeds for appreciation of his arduous work and energy sensing.

“Why did you call me to this place of all wicked places around the school,” I asked for my sanity. Sonia had situated herself atop the metal frame that other boxes and bins were stored away in. The light she had been using anchored itself in the middle of the iron frame.

“Well, I needed some personal advice! I am currently organizing through all this mess and keep finding useless things. What do you think I should do about it?” asked Sonia. Part of her voice sounded as if it came from the depths of hell itself. But, still, the tone of the voice still sounded much like Sonia. How much had she recollected—did her memories intertwine with mine in some sneaky way?

“I am unsure, what items are you speaking of?” I asked, incredulous. This couldn’t have been Sonia. The way her eyes surveyed the area after I asked the question had been proof of it. Due to how high she was in the air, on top of the overabundance of light, her actual figure did not appear correct. My Dark Devas stayed diligent, staying by the door while searching the area for nearby oddities.

The sudden shutter of the light further confused my mortal vision, praying that Sonia had not fallen into madness due to being cooped up in a building. I crossed my fingers for good luck, but as I did so, the large light flicked back onto me.

“Ah, sorry about that, the equipment is old here. Why don’t you come up here and speak with me closer?” asked Sonia or what I had presumed to be some sort of possession of Sonia. I allowed Gum-P to crawl back underneath my arm for other worldly protection. I gave a few glances over the towering metal frame, unsure of how Sonia managed to get that high in the first place.

After many trials and errors, two Dark Devas and myself climbed upon the metal framework. Jum-P and Maga-Z were likely keeping on the ground level in case they needed to run for help.

“You’re here, that makes me feel a lot more comfortable. Through my words…I would like to test something out. I am currently struggling with some painful memory recollection…” Sonia spoke, more like her than she had been this entire time. I was situated on the other end of the metal frame, the bright light being between me and Sonia. 

“Have spirits from the school invaded your soul, Sonia?” I asked the best way I could. Being straight forward would allow me to realize what I needed to do next. If need be, I would need to cleanse Sonias’ spirit from the dangerous ones that wandered in.

The light shuttered between us again, this time for a frequent blinking on and off. Where was this spirit—why was it impacting Sonia in such a diabolical matter? As I was about to inspect the light fixture, a long, quiet sizzle came from where the lightbulb was.

“A-ah! I’m sorry! I meant to change that light bulb out before you came…this is awkward now. But, to my point, no I am not possessed by any entity. I wanted to try something out with you,” Sonia spoke, much softer this time. I took it upon myself to move the light from its current position to a safer place within the confides of the metal frame behind me. Once that was completed, I felt Sonias’ arms begin to pull me closer.

I scooted to where the stage light used to be. What could she need assistance with if her soul was not forsaken by a dark force? Or perhaps the force was becoming smarter, learning more about my personality? I turned to Sonias’ face in the dark. The outlines of her pale face were rough to follow, but from that, I could only deduce that the dark force was masking itself with the manipulation of light.

“That’s ok, what did you want to try?” I asked. This was interesting. What was the dark force calling for me to do? Tame it, capture it—destroy it from existence? My mind became captivated by the sights and sounds Sonia was giving off. If she was taken by a dark force, surely, I was the perfect one to reach out to! I would be able to awash the darkness from her.

I watched as Sonias’ face came closer to mine. What—she hadn’t answered me properly! Was this the dark forces way of communication? How was getting closer to my face going to efface the impacts of manipulative possession?

I felt warm lips touch my own, slow at first, but then leaning further in. Was this the way of the dark force trying to communicate? I leaned into the kiss, opening my lips for further communication. In response, I could feel Sonias’ tongue invade my mouth, flipping around aimlessly. I took this chance to pin down her tongue against the base of my mouth. I could feel it desiring more, wanting to invade further. But I would not allow it the pleasure. I moved my own tongue forward as it kept Sonias’ under a physical bind. I began to carefully search the inside of Sonias’ mouth with my tongue, thorough, not wanting to miss a single clue that could indicate murderous intentions. After several long minutes of searching, I pulled back, quite confused. From my encounters with the dark forces, there would have been an incident or two to occur by now. Was it being that selfish with Sonias’ body? I watched as Sonia turned the other away, a hand covering her mouth. 

“What did you want to try, Sonia?” I asked in a serious tone. If the dark force had wanted to tear my body a part with some sort of seductive power, it should have kicked in by now. If it took over the persons body through kissing, I would not still have my conscious available to my senses.

“I…still feel it. I still feel it coursing through my veins Gundham. You haven’t gotten rid of it yet,” spoke Sonia in a soft voice. What—the spirit was still in there—how tenacious!

I took my hands to gently feel my way around Sonias body to locate her neck—there it is! I dived toward Sonias’ neck in a surprise attack for the marauder. I bit down gently, ensuring only a small amount of blood would pool into my mouth. I sucked down deeply with the intent of having the dark demon come to the surface. Where are you—and how dare you infect such a pure princess!

I kept at this for several minutes, seeing Sonias’ flushed face through the darkness. I could hear her struggle to contain herself, words being held within her hand. I hope the process of exorcising the demon from her body was not too painful. Once I felt satisfied with the results, I pulled my lips back. My upper half returned to the other portion of the metal framed storage unit.

“Is it gone yet, is it still there,” I questioned after giving Sonia a minute to recompose herself. Through the darkness, there was very little I could ascertain. I saw Sonias’ face move toward mine again, slowly, as if she had been calculating her response.  

“Do you not understand?” Sonia asked. I was extremely confused at this point of the conversation. From what I understood, Sonia was in dire need to get something out of her body.

“Is the demon out of your soul yet?” I asked. Sonias’ laughter rang from inside the storage room like an alarm. The pitch nearly made me mute for all of time but the context hurt my soul more so. I bet the others could discern the laughter, maybe even mishearing it as a scream. This sequence of actions is best to be told at an icebreaker or a group date. Or maybe as side chatter to a fellow guy when getting to know one another. Or, could it be, perfect fodder to delay my own ultimate demise? 

The laughter continued for several minutes, a few people tugging at the locked storage room door. My hearing worked still, however, hearing the questions of those outside made me nervous. It sounded to be at least 3 different voices from the outside, worried, and awfully loud.

I looked downward, avoiding Sonias’ glance. As the ultimate princess, she has reflected quite the curious trait of humiliation. Was this a demon, so deep inside the fact they are human, denying their own corporal form? Once the laughing had ceased, Sonia placed her hands on either of my shoulder. I kept my face to the ground, avoiding her stare. What cruel demon would be so vague and drag their prey through the mud like this? A blush crept on my face at this thought, shivering. How could I not realize what this was truly about? Had I been out of a school environment so long that I’d forgotten about the normal, day-to-day things?

Sonias’ lips came close to mine as the sound of footsteps outside diminished. I felt cold as I wanted to learn more, but also to repeal this sick feeling in my stomach. What did she mean by that laugh—was it an effort to get me to feel despair or an apparition to overtake ones’ actions?

Sonias’ lips closed against the upper portion of my earlobe.  Her Lips parted to slither a tongue around it. Sick—who was this enchantress that had possessed the usually level-headed Sonia? These questions were burning too much for me to avoid Sonia completely. My face gained the courage to turn itself slightly, to see the look on Sonias’ face.

Her eyes then flashed a gaudy white-and-black circle through the darkness. This had to be that ailment known as “despair”. I felt more chills run down my spine as I watched Sonia display such a peculiar look on her face. How long had she been overtaken by despair to be this forgone? I watched her eyes, swirls, continue to move as her lips slowly drag about her words.

“Demon, haha, what demon, you’re so silly,” Sonia whispered, though her loud laughing habit was kicking in again. Was despair so persuasive that it could beat down one of the brightest hopes we had? I heard a quiet laugh turn into a loud, shrilling noise. It sounded like a laugh I’d expect from Monokuma. Suddenly, again, her voice shut itself off. No sound. But, when she had stopped this time, the light that once fizzled out came out in a red tint. This gave me just enough context to see the truly twisted look on Sonias’ face.

“Gundham, you’re my favorite. I hope you know that’s why I wrote that note. Hmmm…or was that really why I wrote it? I can’t really remember anymore. This matter is desperate. Whatever these memories are showing me, of death and despair, are attracting the sweetest bits of my thoughts to decay from sanity. All I can think of now is how to most efficiently generate despair at any given moment. Would it generate constant despair for someone if I dangled their love in front of me only to snap it in two? Or would the despair from that broken-hearted persons death shatter the friendly atmosphere of this school life? This is all too tempting. I feel that underneath our smiles we are hiding the despair we had fell into like this, behind this musky hope. We are to be drenched in this despair, why are we fighting it? We’ll soon have to do manual labor, day after day, month after month, and what of when we get old? Die and leave nothing but our stories to a single bear and an empty world,” Sonia spoke like a bewitched animal.

I repressed it; the feeling of shadowy darkness and the despair-laced words Sonia said. These must be words of the demon that had snuck into Sonias’ inner psyche. I had to stop her somehow, but the thought of killing her would prove too inefficient in recovering the body while banishing the demon. My eyes drifted off below for a few moments before Sonia grabbed my shoulder, pulling my body towards hers. I jerked back, my scarf subsequently ripping. A tear of purple fabric fell elegantly below, Jum-P and and San-D taking refuge in the back of my shirt. By now, they would have attacked my assailant. But, knowing them and how long they’ve known Sonia, they wouldn’t dare do such a deed by simple clothes tearing. I trained them better than to attack at the sound of such trivial matters. However, if Sonia drew blood…there would be no promise of safety from the dark devas of destruction!

“Oh, so you hate me now? Before you kissed me and bit the tender of my neck. Is it because I won’t go *that* far for you? Oh, let me guess, you are using that poor defense mechanism of a “ghost” infecting my body for a need to kiss and interact with me? That is very strange for someone who claims to be “poison”. I love the fact you view yourself as the epitome of destruction yet took so little care to carry that through to me. Ah, where does the despair grow for you? From your tortured childhood? From your resurfacing memories?  Or, wait, is it from now? The live feed of your struggling tears as they escape your eyeballs? Your despair, it feels, tangible. I felt it on your pulse. This is a mode I can only truly stay in with one person around. Once I am in a group of three—bam—my mind is instantly consumed by my ultimate talent.  Isn’t it more wonderful to see the true me, Gundham, huh? You can taste my lips, you can kiss me anywhere, but, as a needed requirement, you must help me generate despair around here. Otherwise it will get…boring. OK?” asked Sonia in a rant. For all those words she had spoken, there was no mistaking it. All the things I brought up, talked to her so strongly about, she’s surfacing in her attempt to convert me into despair as well. I shivered at the thought of becoming as cold as Sonia.

“I…Sonia, look. We should really grab the assistance of others in hopes to cure this desire of chaos. This will do nothing but pull us further from our goal to save everyone and leave to live out our dreams. Don’t you want to rule your kingdom in harmony?” I asked, trying to tie in some of Sonias’ wishes. Why hadn’t she seen this side of herself, alone, without others near her? Had Sonia been dependent on being a leader for so long, that under such high pressure, she has assumed the role of an assailant? Or had this been some sort of demon talking, that takes their name under despair? How cruel of it to infect Sonia.

“You’re still so silly Gundham. You haven’t seen the true me yet, have you? Those swirls in my eyes are the true worth of me on the inside. The kingdom has been destroyed long ago. All that is left in the world is true despair. We’ve just been little test subjects, I’d wager. And, since we’re just lowly tests, no one can save us. Not even ourselves. The reason why I asked you above all else is that you believe in the occult as much as me. I believe there has been a spell put onto us for us to assume our nature, to assimilate ourselves into this role thrusted upon us. But, for the mundane and inconsistent matters to cease, we must first bring great despair. Please, Gundham, I am begging you. We will not be able to free ourselves from logic and exits alone,” mumbled Sonia, motioning closer to me in a power drunken tirade. I wanted to pull back so badly, but fearful of the results, I pulled myself in closer to the swirling eyes of Sonia. Her hands lazily held onto the fabric of my scarf. What had become of Sonia, who had she transformed into? What demon or spirit or…implication had she been under?

“I refuse to fall into despair. That is what Monomi instructed us to do, correct? We will find some other way to combat the current situation with the bear, I promise you,” I said quietly, now fearing if the others outside could hear the conversation. Although we were up high and speaking softly, someone…with their ear pressed against the wall would be certain to know all of this. Footsteps began to approach the storage room slowly, maybe a person or two hung back and listened in to our conversation?

“So, refusing my offer? Delaying the truth? Lying to yourself still, about the poison thing, right? You think that refusing me the right to despair will prevent pain just like you do with human interactions? What a pity. I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this,” Sonia began to say, gradually gripping further onto my scarf. I jerked back in response, unsure of what her intentions were. Had her plan been to kill me if I chose not to join her? I began to hyperventilate, scared, unsure of how to handle the current situation. If I were to kill Sonia now, what would the others do to me? If Sonia were to kill me now, how would Monokuma go about telling our classmates? There had to be some way I could save both of us! 

Sonia began to slowly position herself over the metal frame we were sitting on. My nerves tensed, pulling myself away but then placing myself back into the original position. I couldn’t have Sonia off herself due to a bout of insanity like this! 

My scarf began to be pulled tightly as Sonia teased toward the edge of the metal frame. My resolve was unstable now, struggling between saving Sonia and saving myself. There had to be a compromise made somehow.

“So silly, but so handsome too! Worthy to slay a princess, wouldn’t you say?” Sonia mumbled, allowing her body to fall from the metal frame storage tower and into the darkness below. My body…froze. The red light turned itself off. My body refused to relinquish itself for the sake of Sonia. I could feel her hands let go of me as she fell. Was I truly repulsive? Had my resolve been so weak, so punitive, that my life had been reduced to such? I sat, unmoving, about a minute after the incident. The fall of Sonia had been quiet, but at the very least, she would be injured in some way. Would she manipulate our friends into believing I assaulted her in here? I was fearful. What if Sonia really…offed herself like she did? I was still frozen, barely able to accustom myself to the complete darkness.

A loud bang came from the entrance door, light effacing the once dark room.  The truth became revealed in splotches of light and Sonias’ still body. I saw, in the doorway, a startled Kazuichi and an unmoving Akane.  Nekomaru had been shaking off the white chalk on his hands. How was I to explain this to my comrade, Kazuichi, without him feeling angry? Would he be enraged when I questioned Sonias’ sanity after her rant of desiring despair? I looked below as Nekomaru approached Sonia, face down, nested in a thick net of…blankets? Wait—was this all—did she…how cunning of her.

 

“What happened in here? I came right after Akane ran into my room about a disturbance from the storage room! The safety lock was activated, so it was hard to get through. Is everyone ok!” Nekomaru roared, charging through the room.

 “Ah, Nekomaru! It’s nice to see you! I had felt so silly, I had forgotten about time passing when spending it with Gundham. We were discussing matters of the occult when I had a laughing fit. I think, I laughed so much, I fell here! Thank god I had these blankets below to break my fall,” Sonia explained, her glance being turned over to me, “I would like to personally thank Gundham for such a great suggestion.” I could feel the atmosphere become consumed in hope, much to my liking. But, still, the despair from earlier leaked into my consciousness.  Two of my dark devas cowered in my shirt, not moving an inch.

 “I’m glad you’re safe! You guys shouldn’t have climbed that metal frame in the first place though! A fall like that onto regular concrete may have heavily injured you or even worse,” Nekomaru reprimanded, speaking up to me now.  I was unsure of how to act. What would people say about my ripped scarf?

I already felt Kazuichis’ eyes on me, in processing of judging me. I had to stay calm. I couldn’t let the panic in my heart about Sonia spread to the entire group. I kept myself level headed as I scaled down the metal frame.

“I would’ve knocked these doors wide open myself, but I figured, the more witnesses the better,” Akane spoke matter-of-factly. What did she mean by witnesses? Were they accusing me of—No Gundham! Don’t fall into the despair Sonia has knitted for you.

Once firmly on the floor again, Sonia got herself pulled up by Nekomaru. I began to wipe dust from my body, sighing. How would I explain anything, should I be honest or lie? This was a trap either way. I noticed from the corner of my eye Sonia wiping off small bits of blood. So, she was injured.

“What were you guys doing in here, anyway?” questioned Kazuichi as he entered the room with a peeved face. I couldn’t think fast enough for a response, but Sonia certainly had that covered. She began to take steps toward Kazuichi, hands folded perfectly in front of her figure. Was she now normal, away from that gritty despair that hurled her off the edge?

“We were discussing how best to tend to the chickens in the garden. We didn’t want them to feel like pets, but knew no one would want them wandering around the school,” Sonia explained, bowing at the end of her sentence. How did she come up with a lie such as that in mere seconds? Was this…the true Sonia Nevermind?

“Yeah, that’s it. Even on the island we had animals I enjoyed watching over now and then,” I added. I wanted this to pass by as an odd encounter, as something not as selfish as being personally attacked.

“I want to know more of this plan. I’m okay with chickens walking around, but whose gonna pick up their shit?” Nekomaru asked. Part of me wanted to laugh, but then recalled, shit was a pretty serious topic for Nekomaru. As the conversation began to dissolve into friendly banter, I hoped that all would be put behind us now. No one question my ripped scarf, please. No one question the darkness of the room and our placement, please. Just let our days progress as I find more information to corner Sonia out of her despair.

“Anyway, dinner is almost done guys! Let’s eat!” stated Nekomaru, gesturing toward the kitchen. I nodded, about to move forward, but then stuck my feet to the ground below me. I needed to do a call for my hamsters before I left. Am I that out of it to forget something as special as that?

Sonia nodded to Nekomarus comment, proceeding to exit the room. Kazuichi closely followed, leaving my line of sight. Akane nodded slightly at this, staring over at me from the hallway.

“Hey, you joining us?” Akane asked.

“Yes, give me a moment to collect myself,” I answered, calling to my four dark devas of destruction. I knew two were already here, behind me. Cham-P and San-D screeched happily. But strange. The other two did not respond. I called again. Akane began to tap her foot in irritation.

“Ya know, I think we’ll meet up in the dining room. I’ll see ya then,” Akane stated, rushing over to the dining hall. I should’ve figured much—that woman had the hunger of seven wolves. I called again for my 4 dark devas of destruction. They usually came after the 2nd call without question, a 3rd one like this was rare.

I heard Maga-Zs’ chatter come directly from where Sonia fell. I walked over, Cham-P and San-P immediately running down my sleeve.

I kneeled to further investigate the area. Maga-Z had been sniffing an ugly blue fabric. I pulled him away from it, which I received a bite or two in response. Ouch, ouch—why was he so enthralled with the tapestry? Cham-P and San-P sniffed the area, too, but respectfully pulled themselves away as I plucked the fabric.  

[Click plz!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuGHonrmJmA)

As I pulled onto the tapestry, it revealed a crime most heinous. Blood trickled from Jum-Ps’ body. Jum-Ps’ grey ears had been covered in thick, bloody liquid. Underneath him was a pool of his own blood, growing a centimeter or two since I lifted his death from the shadows. One slice of a weapon between five and eight centimeters delivered a deadly blow. Due to the sloppy…cut, it appeared he did not give up without a fight.

Pumpkin seeds were placed in a half circle where I found the deceased Jum-P. Anger began to flow through my veins. I saw a note, crinkled, pushed slightly outside of the of pumpkin seeds. Cham-P locked his jaws around the note, rushing it over to me. I gently pulled it from Cham-Ps’ mouth, patting his head lightly. Jum-Ps friends gathered around his body, sniffing…hoping to inhale even the smallest scent of life. But it had been too late of course. I pulled open the crumbled note to read its contents.

  1. _Wash the Pumpkin Seeds_
  2. _Dry them in sunlight_
  3. _Peel off the thin skin_
  4. _Lightly fry_
  5. _Enjoy!_



How sickening! Sonia had…to the detail (for the most part) how I prepare my Dark Devas food! No wonder Jum-P couldn’t resist having at some! I flipped the note over to see more sloppy handwriting.

_I f y o u l o v e m e , y o u m u s t l o v e t h e D e s p a *i* r w *i* t h *i* n me t o o ._

The note appeared to be scrawled in some sort of dark ink. My mind felt broken. My decision making felt confused. A feeling of dread came over me. My hamsters, once convinced of Jum-Ps’ passing, slowly crawled up my sleeve and hid themselves in the back of my shirt.

As I stood up, I cleaned up the murder scene. I had a resolve now. I needed to get to the bottom of what was causing Sonia to make rash, terrible decisions like these. Why resort to killing one dark deva and leaving such a precarious note? I knew if I sat in my feeling of dread for too long, it would revert to despair, and perhaps I would give into the growing urge to hurt Sonia. But I would not allow the despair to overtake me. I knew Sonia loved them as much as I did. Something must have taken over her psyche to deliver such a deadly blow to Jum-P.

I kept battling my own despair with the hope that all would be solved soon. No one would fuel my rage such as this, as despairing and lonesome as this could be. I believed in Sonia. I recall the days on the island, back in our actual school, which we spoke fondly of my dark…pets. She understood them to the level which I thought no mere mortal could calculate. This death would not be in vain.

As I finished cleaning the last remains of the murder, I had pocketed the sunflower seeds and wrapped Jum-P in my torn scarf fabric. Though through my looking, I hadn’t found the murder weapon. How did Sonia manage to carry that out with her? Due to the estimated length of the blade and her attire, how would she be able to transport such a thing straight to dinner?

“I promise you all, a funeral will be had…”I had mumbled to my remaining devas, the weight of their sadness being transferred into me. I could hear their small, chilling voices in the back of my head. They were mourning as much as I had been.

“Dinner’s ready. Aren’t you coming?” asked a familiar voice. I turned around quick to be met with Chiaki, looking aloof.

“…I’ll be heading to my room shortly before doing much else. There is business I need to deal with,” I replied, walking past her and toward my room. I could feel Chiaki stare at the back of my head the entire way to my room. I wondered how much Chiaki saw. I wonder how much Chiaki knew. Could she be an ally?

I will believe in Monomis’ words. I won’t fall into despair…right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As requested via the survey, D͡҉͍̳͔̞͟e̶̩͕͞s̡͚̘̹̰̱̬p̡̫͠a͕̫i̧̙̮̳r̯͖̟̥̥̞̹!


	7. Monokuma Matinee - Topic: Surveys - Chapter 3.5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> These will function like Monokuma Theater(if you haven't played the game, these are typically little rants Monokuma gives during nighttime while Hajime/Makoto sleeps). The main difference is these will only happen BEFORE nighttime is announced, which is when I plan to do most hardcore plot/story progression. I plan on doing one of these every three chapters(if it is still day time after the 3rd chapter). This one was originally posted on Quotev sometime ago. I'm posting this one and the next one tonight. 
> 
> Enjoy these little tidbits and clues about the Alternative Universe I'm building!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mat·i·nee  
> ˌmatnˈā/  
> noun  
> noun: matinee; plural noun: matinees; noun: matinée; plural noun: matinées
> 
> \- a performance in a theater or a showing of a movie that takes place in the daytime.

"Hey, I know you guys are all busy surfing the internet, but I need your feedback! I haven't been able to sustain a consistent audience for the life of me! So, in order to cater to my current dwarf of an audience, I made a survey room for you guys to voice your opinions. I'm sorry it isn't as razzle frazzle as some of the others on here, but I assure you, I take my shipping seriously!"

"I like to think of myself as a romantic, although true love is for the fishes. Bringing the darkest scenes into the springtime of youthful romance. Ahh...I miss those days. Anywho, take the damned survey to see your favorites in some sort of romantic/intimate scene. With the current low response rate, it's basically in the bag for you! Well, that's all for now!"

Link:[https://www.quotev.com/quiz/9786780/Monokumas-totally-canon-request-for-shipping-orders]


	8. Monokuma Matinee - Topic: Prospective - Chapter 6.5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As promised, the 2nd one! The next new (full) chapter will probably be posted by next Sunday(the 30th) or maybe earlier depending on real life stuff. Enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pro·spec·tive  
> prəˈspektiv/  
> adjective  
> adjective: prospective
> 
> (of a person) expected or expecting to be something particular in the future.  
> "she showed a prospective buyer around the house"  
> likely to happen at a future date; concerned with or applying to the future.  
> "a meeting to discuss prospective changes in government legislation"

"Ya know, humans gotta view things one way or another. Black or White. Kinky or Vanilla. Cat or Dog. Introduce any outer factors and most no longer have the will to think themselves through logic. Guess you could blame me partially for that. But, the world was already crumbling under the idea that stuff like "opinions" or "honesty" matter. No matter whose parent, child, or animal you run up to, they will never immediately see things just as you see it. Prospective, the use of singularly unique eyes, will never deviate from their current condition. But, humans, they like to label things. Bad dog or good dog. Good Kink or Judgemental vanilla. Without the trusty mental label gun, we are without use. How are we suppose to painfully exist while also painfully thrusting upon constant judgements on every mundane detail we come across? That's where leadership comes in."

"We open our minds to a thought of someone impeccable, infallible, unbreakable.  We follow them into the dark caves of uncertainty, childishly ditching unique eyes and putting in glass replicas of the leaders'. The leaders eyes are no better, which is a secret that could collapse most governments. So sad, but so true! Human hope and ideas of leadership are built on the backs of insecure and insufficient knowledge types. Those with the backbone to stick to their unique eyes are typically pegged for the negative connotations: bullish, headstrong, aggressive, the list can go on forever. I hope no one ever decides to ditch their ideals for some guy in a suit with some sort of resource. I mean, who even wants to live that way? Well, that's all for now!"


	9. Hopeful Therapy II - Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a note before diving in, this is a SUPER fluffy chapter for komahina(NagitoxHajime). 
> 
> I may release another new chapter today as well, since I have a small backlog of chapters now.  
> Otherwise, my updating schedule will typically be on Sundays.
> 
> Enjoy!

 

“Gooood morning students! It is now 7am and considered day time! You have six days before the harsh manual labor conditions begin! So, live it up and familiarize yourself with the school,” Monokuma said, the screen next to the bathroom door clicking off. I groaned at the sound of the announcement, attempting to pluck Nagitos’ arms from my waist. I would be foolish to miss another day of being around everyone. Part of me missed the social aspect of getting to know others, learning more about them, and figuring out how to go back to school. But, with this new stuffed animal in the mix, so many things could change.

I tugged at Nagitos’ arms again. At first his hands hadn’t moved, but then slowly inched away from my waist.  I slid out of bed and made my way over to the bathroom.

“Alright, time to go. That jackass bear decided to wake me up and I need to pee,” I said. I needed to make sure the others didn’t think of us as outsiders or weak points to the group. The last thing we needed to do was divide the group based on our actions.

Nagito grumbled at the sound of my voice.

“We need at least three more hours of sleep,” said Nagito as I lifted the toilet seat. 

“I think you’re talking about yourself. I’m ready to go since that announcement woke me up. Besides, I’m scared that if we stray from the group too long they’ll start to isolate us as victims of blame. Isn’t that what you wanted to avoid?” I asked, relieving my bladder. Yesterday I would’ve been slapping myself for not closing the door while using the bathroom. But, now that Nagito and I’s relationship felt open, what did boundaries mean anymore? Izuru, the person within myself, also finds those mundane things as nonsense these days. I wish I could separate the two personas of me, myself as Hajime and as Izuru. Wanting to be one way but feeling another for so long could have jarring consequences.

“Victims of sleeping in is all we’d be pinned for. Besides, if you go ahead of me, they’ll ask why I’m not there. Can we stay in for a bit longer, please?” Nagito pleaded. The sleepiness in his voice was apparent. I was starting to see how different we were. Once I was done doing my business, I ran the sink to wash my hands.

“Aren’t you the star student? Anyway, we don’t really know when people will meet today. Getting somewhere as early—“ I began, but Nagito already started cutting me off.

“Yeah yeah. I’m not as impressive as you are. I know. Being early and being a talent above all other normal people are two different things. Do whatever. I need more sleep,” grumbled Nagito. He sounded like such a kid. Did he only wake up early on the island due to the chores we had to do? But why was he so happy? I began to dry off my hands in the bathroom, thinking of a good response. I wanted to pry more into why he felt that way.

I looked over myself in the mirror while drying off my hands. Long hair was such a pain—it was all over the place. Strands of hair piled up on top of each other while some chunks defied gravity.  A few miscellaneous strands got into my vision too, cutting my perspective into several pieces. My red eyes still creeped me out in a way, but, this was my new reality. I had to accept it. And, hopefully, learn how to groom it. Speaking of grooming, perhaps that’s why Nagito doesn’t want to leave the room?

“Are you worried about people seeing your hand? If we leave the room early enough, we can search the school for something to hide it with. The earlier that could be—” I said as I exited the bathroom, but Nagito had been facing away from the bathroom at this point. I stopped since I was listening for some sort of cut-in response. I could only hear Nagitos’ light breathing and ruffling to get comfortable. I was annoyed by this type of response. Was he planning on avoiding the issue? What a child.

I proceeded to climb back into bed to investigate further. Once my body connected with the bed, the covers flew around Nagito to cover his body. Huh, so he intended to be this way then? My hands began to pull at the covers, but in response, Nagito pulled harder. 

“Just answer me dammit! I need to know what I should do,” I asked him in a more aggressive voice than usual. Was this Izuru again? I could feel my face turn red, but this time, it felt more upset then embarrassed. I promised the three that stopped in yesterday that we would meet up today. I was not going to break a promise that could cost my life.

“Sleep, if you’re trying to do what I’m doing,” replied Nagito. Was that really the case? Why didn’t he address the concern I brought up? Getting a response calmed the anger in me that could snap away from reality. I pulled at the covers a bit more gently as a retreat from my previous aggressive behavior. After a few minutes of gentle pulling, the covers finally opened themselves back up to me.  I proceeded to lay down and get to Nagitos’ level.

“Are you always this sleepy?” I whispered to him. His face was now turned to me, though Nagitos expression was admittedly peeved at my chatter.

“I don’t remember you talking this much on the island…and no, I’m not usually this sleepy,” Nagito replied, his hands slipping around my body. Nagito began to leave small kisses around my face, whispering things about the amount of ground we had to cover within our relationship. I nodded nervously since the relationship did feel quite odd and I was unsure to what extent I could follow through with it in public. Nagito began to gently stroke the middle of my back, humming a soft tune against my ear. For some reason, Nagito seemed more affectionate than he appeared tired. Perhaps he needed some incentive to leave the room? To return affections, I left two quick kisses along Nagitos’ jawline. A quiet whimper escaped Nagitos’ mouth, red beginning to invade his face. I had to ask more questions now before his guard went up again!

“Then why are you so sleepy?” I asked. Silence followed. What could have been the reason? I had to understand this before doing anything else. My hands placed themselves tight against Nagitos’ bare back muscles. His body laid out in front of me mirrored last nights events exactly. In the context of doing the same thing today, it felt more nuanced. Almost as if we had been doing this for years. Had Monokuma and Monomi been truthful in saying that we’ve been reliving our  teenage lives for almost seven years until yesterday?  I moved closer to Nagito, adjusting myself such that his head would lay on top of mine. It would be best to cover my bases and cuddle with him to prevent a near incident like last night. I think not looking him in the eye would give him more confidence to be honest too. I could feel Nagitos hand gently run along my arm, two fingers making outlines of the letters that composed my name.

“Yesterday was my first night remembering things from so many years ago with one of my favorite people. I couldn’t sleep. I had horrible night terrors. Night terrors from memories I’m not sure are mine. The only thing that kept me from going insane and attacking that bear more was your arms wrapped around me,” Nagito blurted out. My memories manifested in a mixture of tantrums and dissociation. For Nagito, did his rage only come in sleeping? Did he first attack Monokuma while he was sleepwalking?

“Well, since it sounds like we’re in the same boat, maybe it is good for us to be together in a room like this. We really need to find answers to these questions, but first, we need to prevent the others from misunderstanding our point of view,” I replied. Changing body parts and limbs could cause a stir. And, on top of that, the potential social awkwardness of telling the others what keeps us under control had me nervous.

I suddenly felt Nagitos’ lips on mine. Again, I felt overwhelmed with affection and was caught off guard. I melded into Nagitos’ lips, moving my hands up to lightly grip his hair.  Nagito laid me out on the bed, his body straddling mine. The cover that once entangled us was thrown off the bed. Nagito pressed his face against mine until both of us felt satisfied (and otherwise breathless) from the interaction. As we pulled away from each other’s lips, Nagito wiped his mouth with his wrist. His smile grew as he stared down at me, a slight blush on his face.

“It feels nice to be this close to you. I feel that this amazing stroke of luck is going to be negated by a massive amount of bad luck,” Nagito mumbled. I stroked Nagitos lower back consolingly. I could hardly control my rage in the waking life, but to be forced to control it while asleep too? What a terrible situation Nagito was put in.

“Don’t worry about that now. What would help you sleep?” I asked. Nagitos figure immediately tensed, changing his current straddling position.  As Nagito arched his back, he placed his forehead against mine. If there was something I could incentivize Nagito with, it would quicken the process of us meeting up with the others. Besides, the taste of Nagitos’ tongue felt strangely fulfilling.

“A-Affection tends to keep me calm. Maybe if I get a lot of affection before falling asleep, I’ll have better dreams. Once I get the sleep I need, I’ll be ready to search the school,” Nagito said, holding my body so close that it was becoming uncomfortable. My hands pressed deep into Nagitos shoulder blades to ease his tension. I could feel him begin to ease up on his hold. Soft breathing proceeded, pouty whines leaking through Nagitos’ lips.

“Would a massage be helpful?” I asked.

“No, something a bit…more,” Nagito responded. What is a bit more—I wasn’t confident enough to go much further than last night. Looking back, Nagito did put in a lot more lip service compared to me.

I glanced over the white-haired mumbler on top of me to gauge of his current confidence level—by his messy hair and red face—he probably couldn’t go much further either. His eyes avoided my own for a bit, circling the outline of my face before closing.  I felt myself blush too.

I pulled my back up so my chest is pressed against Nagitos’. My lips puckered up, leaning toward his own. I could feel his blue eyes stare into mine in silence. I wasn’t sure how to really go about this. Nagito, despite his previous actions, had been struggling to become my friend on the island. I hadn’t thought he would lust for me in this way. Was this to my advantage, something I should make use of until he got bored of me? Or did he view this as a symbiotic relationship? I feared to ruin the mood by asking questions. I pressed my lips further in to gently tap against Nagitos’. My attempts of pressing forward ended in flood of memories coming back to me. The snapshots of memories and, oh lord…the student council survivor. Checkered flooring. Blood everywhere. That chainsaw.

I flinched back, onto the bed and half in the pillow, fearing I did things improperly. Were my memories supposed to push themselves to the surface now due to the affection? Did affection coerce my memories to flash in my eyes? The kiss came across as less impersonal, less of what Nagito gave me yesterday. I had failed the man who had saved me and now I was being so cold. How could I face him? I closed my eyes in shame. Half of my face dug deeper into the pillow below me.

“Is that ok, I’m sorry I’m no good at this stuff…” I mumbled, more to the pillow than to Nagito himself. Izuru must hate disappointment, because the pain in my gut feels heavier than it should. I kept my eyes closed to avoid Nagitos’ disappointed face. Why did this hurt so much? I felt breathing close to my face. I wondered what was on Nagitos’ mind right now. Was I terrible at kissing, did I ruin the whole idea of affection?

Lips touched mine gently. It was a quick 2 second peck before the lips moved away.  I opened one eye to see a sheepishly smiling Nagito.

“I know. You’re still pretty cute trying like that,” Nagito jeered. Cute—what—what else did he even expect from me with that type of request? There was no way those boxers of his were going anywhere! I puffed up my cheeks at these words, feeling tempted to hide my entire face in the pillow. I would be ok with viewing myself as inadequate, but codifying it as “cute” would not stand for me. That certainly sounds like something Hajime and Izuru would agree on.

“Cute? I’m starting to doubt those terrors of yours Nagito,” I teased. I watched with my opened eye as Nagito smirked. What was he planning this time?

In a flurry of pillow tossing and play fighting, Nagito ended up on top of me again. Damn—pinned down again! How does he manage this? I puffed up my cheeks again in response. I think this is what people in relationships do when things are carefree. I’m not sure though. 

Nagito let out a loud laugh at my face, shaking his head as his middle fingers poked the air out of my cheeks. Was this affection? I’m not sure but it appeared to be helping Nagito greatly. He was no longer hiding in the sheets or trying to isolate himself from everyone. And the terrible memories of mine seemed to have stopped for now. In this moment, as Nagito straddles my body again, he looks down at me with such an interesting face. In fact, I don’t think I have ever seen such a look on his face before. Even back in the island, during our free time and trips to the amusement park, he hadn’t looked so happy.    

“I never thought someone like you would know how to do simple, human things like this…” Nagito mused. Simple human things had been in everyones nature I thought. What made me so different? Had Nagito been remembering something crucial that I had been struggling to recall?

“What do you mean by that? We’re both humans in this world. And, as far as I know, you were the grumpy one hiding away from meeting everyone,” I teased again, poking at his sides. Nagito laughed as he dove in head first to cuddle me.

What could best be described as “affection” composed the next couple of hours. Nagito didn’t seem as tired as he told himself he was. Perhaps I needed some less intensive interactions as well. Based from last night, trying to hop right into being Hajime again would prove difficult. 

“Alright, I think I’m ready to get dressed and meet with the others. I’m sorry about earlier. I just needed some time to compose myself. But, to answer your earlier question…” Nagito stated, bringing up his acrylic finger hand. How would we approach the issue? What exactly did we have at our disposal to assist with issues like this? 

“Let’s try and find something in the room to help cover that. We’ll also need a cover story though, hmm, let’s see,” I said. A white lie wouldn’t hurt us – so long as we weren’t figured out – our tracks would be perfect. Nagito and I began to rummage through the drawers in our room.

“By the way, my hair looks…disgusting. Do you know if we’d be able to find a comb or something in here too?” I asked. Nagito shrugged as I rummaged through the set of Hope Peak uniforms we had.

“Well, for you, I’ll see what I can do,” Nagito answered with a laugh, shuffling through the boxers and briefs provided to us.  

“I’m not saying you have to comb my hair or anything,” I spoke, my voice noticeably lower. That wasn’t the motive behind my words, and obviously, how would Nagito know how to comb any better than me? I mean, look at that constant bedhead!

“If Hajime is the most important person in my world right now, I’m obliged to help. Besides, I’m sure you don’t want to bother with the simple stuff like that,” Nagito said, pulling open more drawers.  Most important…person? Wow, I could feel the blush spread across my face quickly. I hid it by looking at the other end of the room.

After several minutes of searching, we found just what we needed. An opened first aid kit with bandages. How…oddly convenient. Part of me wanted to drag the bear in here and explain how this populated into our room. But, we’ll take it. I had originally found them with Nagito looking over my shoulder as I checked the contents. There had also been a pair of medical scissors tucked underneath the bandages. They held the crest of the company that had created the supplies, however, they appeared quick thick and bulky when I picked them up. The crest had been composed of a line of faded out words on the scissors. These must’ve been ancient.

[Logo](https://res.cloudinary.com/teepublic/image/private/s--ab3WeaPv--/t_Preview/b_rgb:191919,c_limit,f_jpg,h_630,q_90,w_630/v1492164701/production/designs/1449636_1.jpg)

“Perfect! With this kit, we could probably cut off those nails of yours too,” I suggested with a smile. I looked back to measure Nagitos’ response. His body pulled itself away from mine quick, his position akimbo.  His face darkened while the condescending air from the island swept across the conversation just by his body language shift.

“No, I rather not be sloppy with our actions. Besides, something about this hand, I want to remember it before destroying it,” Nagito said. Those words felt calculated and much like the Nagito on the island. Was he hiding something from me? If so, why hide it? I shook my head nonetheless.

“Would you still want to cover that, at the very least?” I asked, “I’m not a nurse like Mikan but I can do my best to wrap it around your hand.”

“Yes please. We still need a relevant story for why my hand is in bandages though,” Nagito stated thoughtfully, his normal hand placing itself underneath his chin. We needed to think of this plan before we left so we could have our stories together.

“While we get our story straight, how about I comb your hair?” Nagito asked. Before I could ask further questions, Nagito presented a black comb that was about four inches long. The teeth of the comb couldn’t have been more than 5 centimeters wide.

“How long do you think it’ll take with that size of a comb,” I asked, confused. For my previous hairstyle, it looked like the perfect type. I wasn’t much for being a perfectionist or anything, but the comb appeared insufficient.

“Dunno. Never combed out someones’ hair as long as yours. But once we leave here, I’m not sure how intimate you would like us to be,” Nagito replied, humming. He had the air of a supportive spouse about him. If it had not been for this strange situation, perhaps Nagito could’ve made for a pleasant stay at home dad. 

“This would be the perfect thing to do with our clothes off so we could head straight into the shower,” Nagito said. Although it sounded much like any other offer Nagito had made in the past, his face was covered in red as his eyes darted around the room. For being so good at lip service and being sensual, this was a look that was easy on the eyes. I could get used to it.


	10. Hopeful Therapy III{Arc End} - Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A fresh new chapter! I hope you enjoy : )

When Nagito and I entered the dining hall, only four others were there. Peko and Fuyuhiko were sitting on one end of a large table while Kazuichi sat on the other side. Ibuki had been sitting on her own further away, close to an opened doorway. Ibuki had been munching on a sandwich in a chair, not near a table.

“Hey Hajime, hey Nagito. Sit over here with me, would ya?” Kazuichi said with an awkward smile. At least he was trying to keep face and not look suspicious. Nagito and I made our way to the table, our bellies ready for some sort of food. As I sat down, I noticed Peko and Fuyuhiko were both drinking a similar beige colored soup.  Their ceramic bowls were half-filled with bits of grey and yellow floating about. Clam chowder maybe by the smell—hopefully there had been more. The smell made me consider if TeruTeru was behind the food they were eating.  

“Hey, do you know if TeruTeru is cooking anything today?” I asked. His meals were some of the best I’ve ever had. Well, besides that time he nearly roofied me. But those times were in the past. Nagito sat down a few moments after me, adjusting the bandages along his arm. I did a quick glance over to those at the table to see if they noticed—and thankfully—everyone was too busy eating to notice the bandages. Peko took a few sips from her soup, gently putting down the bowl once she had been satisfied. Fuyuhiko followed suit, their attention being turned to us. 

“No, but it’s rather odd you two hid out yesterday. Did you remember anything?” Peko asked. I shook my head lightly as I tried playing off being carefree. I followed Pekos eyes as she stared along the newly bandaged arm of Nagito. Crap—uhm, what was our story again?

“Ah, erm, no. We were both too tired to really move anywhere really. We got tired and went to…sleep, yeah, sleep,” I said in the worst attempt to hide a lie in my history of lying. Although that history was short, this was terrible on my end! The part of me that was Izuru was upset while Hajime grew more anxious.

“Too tired? We’re in a place an evil-looking bear told us to explore. If anything, I’d be riled up more than anyone if my appearance drastically changed as much as yours Hajime,” Fuyuhiko chimed in. His eyes kept onto mine. I felt nervous. My fingers begin to rumble against the table.  I am meek. I am Hajime Hinata. I am wise. I do not act carelessly. My eyes returned an intense stare, though only through the deeply seeded intensity Izuru often let off.

“Well, I think, people like Hajime are a lot meeker, you know?” Kazuichi added. My eyes wandered from Fuyuhiko to Kazuichi. Kazuichi had been taking small, nervous bites of his sandwich. Nagito tugged my wrist to look his way. A glaring Peko had been staring down Kazuichi when my eyes moved to look her over. Fuyuhiko appeared to be struggling to keep a friendly façade, his upper lip slipping into the roof of his mouth. This led me to believe he had a lot more to say than the silence he was giving us now.   

“What exactly do you mean by that? Do you know something, Souda?” interrogated Peko. Her eyes took a deep dive into Kazuichis’. Fuyuhiko joined in this stare off, a negative atmosphere beginning to generate. I could only recall a similar scene from the old school style yakuza movies.  The old school sound of Japanese men yodeling felt implicit in the background.  I was afraid for the man known as Souda, Kazuichi.

“N-N-N-o! Of course not. Seriously, they haven’t got a chance to get some sort of food yet. We should l-l-let them eat before we really poke at them to that extent,” Kazuichi reasoned with our empty stomachs. Nagito gave a lazy nod to the words.

“Yeah, I find it unfair we’re not able to eat before we’re spoken to like criminals,” Nagito spoke with acidity to his words. I could feel him being his usual self with a bit more malice.

“…Fair enough. What would you two like? I will prepare it for you,” Peko asked.

“Well, I guess some sort of sandwich would be nice,” I said.  I hoped Peko would be gone long enough for me to recover from my lying blunder.

“I agree. Tuna sandwich please!” Nagito asked. I didn’t know Nagito had it in him to even use that word: please. I looked over to the awkward table banter again, Kazuichi struggling to keep his façade up as Fuyuhiko had a determined grin on his face.

“No one leave, I will be back shortly with the requested tuna sandwiches,” Peko stated, placing her beige soup aside. She sat up and began to make her way to the back of the room.

Ibuki looks over at the approaching Peko, a big smile on her face.

“Yooo! I just made some pre-te good tuna casserole. Feel free to use that,” Ibuiki offered. For some reason, her kindness began to rub off as helping the enemy—er—well the enemy that is still a friend.

“Is tuna casserole suitable?” asked Peko, raising her voice loud enough for us to hear across the room. I gave her a nod as well as Nagito. This would be an intense brunch for sure. Peko went through the open doorway Ibuki was sitting next to, which presumably led to the kitchen.

“I don’t understand you guys, but whatever. I guess I could tell you guys what we did yesterday. We didn’t find anything that could lead us out of the school. Just a regular school with the windows shot out with metal sheets. We tried hard to screw them out and escape that way, but they wouldn’t budge. We had Akane and Nekomaru working on them but even they reached their limit. We’ve done quick sweeps everywhere, but today, we’re going into more detail with rooms. Monokuma hasn’t really appeared since his gym stunts. Have either of you seen him?” asked Fuyuhiko in a neutral tone. Although the tone felt like a middleground, Fuyuhiko still gave me chills up my spine with his stare. I looked over at Nagito, who had a carefree look on his face. I wish I could adopt the same senselessness Nagito was showing. I took a quick glance at Fuyuhiko; he was starting to sip at his soup again. What was his aim? The last person I looked over appeared to be the most stressed. Random words sputtered out of his mouth, nervous, even though the conversation subject had changed entirely. Stutters came out too quickly to make sense. Is this the Ultimate Yakuzas’ true power?

“OH, I know what he’s saying! He’s saying, ‘I need use the bathroom before I pee myself’,”Ibuki shouted into the dining room. As much as I wanted to break out into laughter, that action would likely break our promise.  I kept a poker face, though weak, smiling idly. Izuru did not like smiles like this. That part of me hated the curves that my mouth formulated.

“Not really, I mean, if you count the announcement then yeah,” I played off cooly, remembering the event that woke me up this morning. Fuyuhiko was still not letting up with his fierce questioning. I could hear his mind beginning to calculate several questions based off my answers. Fuyuhiko never really spoke of his talent, but this was a rather excellent expo for it. Yakuzas collected money from people, fought turf wars, fought against throngs of armies, among other impressive things from the movies I’ve watched. Could Nagito and I really hide the truth like this?

Kazuichi began to stutter and utter more nonsense, which would likely be translated by resident snoop Ibuki.

“OH, I know this one too! Soada is saying, ‘I refuse to talk without my lawyer present!’” Ibuki shouted once again. I wonder if her ears could be plugged somehow? Ibuki was needlessly complicating the current arrangement.   

“Oh, so you haven’t seen him? Odd. You haven’t heard from Monokuma either? Separate from the announcement,” Fuyuhiko pressed further. Oh jeez, I was losing my pokerface. I could feel my smile drop into a nervous half-smile. My left hand snuck itself underneath the table and found Nagitos now wrapped hand. We held each others hands tightly. Peko was taking her time with the sandwiches—likely on purpose—for Fuyuhiko to drag the truth out of us.

“Of course not! We were tired and couldn’t really think of much,” Nagito had mumbled, his hand gripping my own. We had to stay strong and together with this truth. If not, we would crumble and the group would become divided.

“So, no sounds at all? Not even a word? Interesting,” Fuyuhiko spoke, his glare turning to the food below him. Fuyuhiko had to be hungry too, he needed a break from the rapid-fire questions to eventually quench his appetite.

“We’re hungry,” Nagito stated simply. That was a good approach. Why didn’t I play it off that way instead? My thumb rubbed the surface of Nagitos’ hand in appreciation.

Kazuichi stopped sputtering as he turned his focus to finishing his food. His resolve seemed strong as he ate the remainder of his sandwich in mere seconds.

“I-I-I gotta go! See you guys later!” Kazuichi quickly spoke, but the Ultimate Yakuza put down the law.

“Why don’t you stay Soada? I know you like tuna,” Fuyuhiko jabbed, “And I know Ibuki doesn’t use that cheap sugar-free mayo for the casserole.” Kazuichi remained like a stone, speaking in sputters but even Ibuki tilted her head at this one. 

“The air in the dining hall smells akin to the brimstone of hell!” Gundham announced, Peko following soon after his appearance. Thank god—a savior—a plot non-sequitur! Our eyes locked onto the food making its way on a blue platter. Peko held that in one hand with five glasses of green tea in the other. Oh god—a tea scene with a Yakuza member—there’s no lying in these. In all the anime, manga, and media I’ve watched, tea scenes end in two ways. A romantic ending or a brutal ending…we were likely the latter. I closed my eyes in dismay, praying that Gundhams’ eclectic behavior would distract from the true conversation. Peko came our way now, with drinks and food.  She placed them in the middle of the table. After returning to her seat, I can see her eyes staring at the two of us. Fuyuhiko gestured to Peko and then toward the drinks. Immediately, Peko sat up again to dish out the drinks to each person, starting with Fuyuhiko himself. 

“Ah, well, I see what you guys mean. I would get real tired too after being through so much change,” Fuyuhiko spoke, a bit too casually. Where was this going? This was getting close to the real issue at hand. I squeezed Nagitos’ hand, feeling his pulse quicken.  I stared at the cup of tea in front of me, steam raising from the top of it.

“The winds of change are tumbling indeed my friends! For the change in atmosphere impacts my Devas the most,” Gundham spoke matter-of-factly. His hamsters would peak out from different ends of his wardrobe. The hamsters did look a little sad, if anything. Now’s the chance to change our fate!

“I see what you—“ I started, but Peko slammed down her cup. Spools of tea escaped the cup and fell back in haphazardly. A stain was left near the edge of the table.

“Those are some splenetic words. I know you guys weren’t completely unbothered yesterday,” said Peko. Each word sounded more hyper critical than the last. This was it—our final stand.

“We don’t really remember. Let’s eat,” Nagito spoke, reaching with his free hand for a sandwich. As Nagitos hand began to reach out for the sandwich, Peko made deft movements to bat his hand away with the sheath of her sword. In a matter of seconds, a sword stood between Nagito and I from food. All that had been peaceful immediately choked itself within this moment. Izuru calculated a total of four separate ways to de-weaponize, injure, and  and knock our enemies unconscious. Although Izuru would not have heavily injured the foes which such options, Ibuki and Gundham would be key witnesses to such heinous actions toward friends. Izuru wanted to end the interaction completely while Hajime demanded for the subject to be dropped altogether.

“Answer us. Were you left alone or with others?” Fuyuhiko added to the intensity, crossing his arms. All that was missing from this scene was a rainy sky and dated music. What—now wasn’t the time for silly sayings like that! I shook my head at the words, trying to clear my head. Fuyuhiko must know something, or at least, know enough from the interruption last night.

“This isn’t fair, you told us we would be able to eat before this,” Nagito spoke with grit to his words. I hadn’t heard these types of words from him before. Was he…truly angry? Was he nearing an insanity bout or was this just irritation that rose from our current situation?

“Mortals, why do you deny your own mortality of needing subsistence? No matter the trouble, all of us are living well,” Gundham said into our conversation, overseeing our table. Gundham stood next to Kazuichi, who knew to do nothing better than to point at Gundham directly with all fingers.

“Shut up, you’re not part of this!” Fuyuhiko spoke, the crack in his voice one of the very few outs of the scenario. I began to tug at Nagitos hand to leave but he did not move. His hand laid into my palm and squeezed it. I squeezed back, underneath the table. Gundham, as demure as he had been, gave a deathly glare to Peko and Fuyuhiko.

“Under the words of The Forbidden One, I request that our friends be allowed to eat before they are asked questions. That is how things were set up last night, were they not?”  Gundham demanded in a near normal tone. Although his reasons for protecting us seemed to far outweigh our current friendship level, I sincerely appreciated the gesture.

I watched Fuyuhiko and Peko go silent for a bit, looking away from us. They appeared to have been defeated by the logic of someone completely out of the situation. Kazuichi breathed out slowly, smiling  at the fact he was no longer under scrutiny.

“Fine. But don’t get angry at me if those two are the top suspects of a murder or two,” grumbled Fuyuhiko, picking up his bowl to sip more of his soup. I think we finally have our chance to eat now. Nagito and I began to grab at the sandwiches and tea.

In the middle of eating, we heard the dining room door open. Several footsteps could be heard shuffling into the room.

“Man, I slept a log,” said Akane, her voices echoing throughout the dining room.

“I wish my sleep could be as restful as yours. I was tossing and turning throughout my entire night,” spoke Sonia, her usual voice picking up on my ears.

“Puhh, what did you spend your night doing? Hanging out with your crush,” asked Hiyoko, her grating voice and off handed insults second nature to me now.

“Hiyoko! That’s rude to ask. That’s more suited for private conversations, especially since we’re super late to the meeting,” harangued Marhirus’ voice. Upon the dramatic increase of people, I pulled my hand away from Nagito. I could feel his hand fight in response, but I continuously pushed it back. I couldn’t be revealed—not yet anyway. The air of normal school life seemed impending, not harsh labor conditions.

My eyes caught wind of Kazuichis’ immediate relinquishment of his seat, trying to speak with Sonia about something. Gundham took Kazuichis’ seat, likely to overseer that the questioning Peko and Fuyuhiko wanted to do waited until we ate our food. Gundhams’ cool disposition felt like a façade to me sometimes though. Like right now, with his eyes closed in meditation.

“H-Hey Sonia, I am happy to see you! I wasn’t sure when the meeting was supposed to be so I came real early, one of the first people here actually,” Kazuichi spoke in a rambly tone, “I also kept that secret that we’ve been keeping for a while.” Kazuichi ended with a corny wink, which led to those around us gaining more suspicion of him. Peko and Fuyuhiko were particularly ticked off by his evident lie earlier; excellent job Kazuichi!  

“Aha, so you were hiding something! Gundham, let us probe Mr.Souda over there since he’s so prideful over a damned secret and finished eating beforehand,” Fuyuhiko spoke, standing and pointing straight at the pale-faced pink-haired guilty-ridden bad-secret-keeper. My trash talk between personalities could use a patch up or two. I turned to face the newcomers, trying to absorb in the entire scene.

“I will agree with this sentiment,” Gundham spoke short to the request, which I found surprising. Why let us eat and not let Kazuichi off the hook? What was going on here?

“Alright, time to fess up you dumb fucking Mechanic! What do you know about Hajime and Nagito that I don’t know!” exclaimed Fuyuhiko, climbing onto the table we were sitting at for extra ground. Fuyuhiko, although still trying to nail through the fierce vibe *slightly* killed it with his own physical stature. I took a glance over to Kazuichi again, sweating bullets, his anxiety showing in his inability to keep eye contact. This was getting worse by the minute.

“Ooo, a secret about Hajime and Nagito? Spill it, you weirdo,” Hiyoko egged on.

“What secret…what’s going on here? Why are we so out of the loop,” Mahiru stated, her face looking fierce. I remember that look; we were in for it now!

“A secret?!? Ibuki demands to know!” Ibuki screamed from the other end of the room, running over to us. There was too much pressure. My brain was calculating the probability of being able to knock everyone here unconscious. The Hajime in me wanted to speak, be cold turkey about it, but couldn’t imagine the backlash. I looked over at Nagito for assistance, but he still held that childlike stupid look on his face. Was he even thinking of how this directly correlated to us in any way?!

Suddenly, I felt another body hop onto the table. In the quickness of the hop, I saw white strips against a beige skirt. Looking up, Sonia had a determined look on her face. What would she do to control the situation?

“Everyone! I have a confession to make. Last night…in Hajimes and Nagitos room…while everyone was getting ready to eat dinner...busy with—”Sonia began.

“Get on with it!” yelled Fuyuhiko, coming dangerously close to Sonia. Izuru had been five seconds away from hitting Fuyuhiko with the hot tea, tripping him, buckling his ankle in hopes for a sprain, throwing the platter to injure his neck, kicking the table away in hopes for a minor head injury—get out of my head, IZURU!

“Don’t rush her, listen Sonia, if you don’t want to tell, I can tell,” Kazuichi spoke, loud enough so all could hear.

“No Kazuichi, you would not know this. At approximately 7:30pm last night, in the room of Hajime and Nagito. I was caught by Nagito doing unbecoming things. Hajime and I were trying to have some time alone while Nagito came out of the bathroom a bit early,” Sonia began to explain but people began to shoot down.

“Really, that’s where you were, at approximately 7:30PM?” questioned Gundham. His voice reeked of suspicion. Why would he, of all people, find it so strange?

“Yeah Sonia, 7:30PM sounds closer to the time where you asked me to send off that note to *that someone*,” cackled Hiyoko. Oh jeez—this was becoming a bigger web that I thought. The lies were beginning to build and would bust at some point. If I came clean now, honest, how would people react? Would they be honestly ok or upset at the current events? I couldn’t back down from my secret holding now. Was the Izuru in me getting too excited with the situation or the Hajime becoming too overly anxious? Otherwise, Sonia seemed to have been caught off guard with such a discovery.

“Don’t you dare tell us lies, tell us the truth, Sonia Nevermind!” Mahiru spoke with much gusto behind her voice. She sounded peeved—though more so upset.   


“I am sorry! I must not be recalling the times correctly. Well, slightly before 6PM, I was in the shared room of Hajime and Nagito in efforts to calm my nerves with a little...canoodling,” Sonia spoke, expressing a vivid blush on her face. How was this supposed to make my situation better—in fact, I heard Nagito slam his hand down onto the table. Oh jeez, the Hajime in me wants to bang my head against something now. People are becoming too wrapped up in this lie instead of talking about our findings.

“Why did you mention that Sonia! That was supposed to be kept secret, not to hurt anyones feelings. I mean, the number three does keep good company,” Nagito added. Why—just why—could he twist the logic even more? Who would even believe it at this point?

“Hajime Hinata. I never knew I had such an adversary who plays both fields. That should be illegal,” Kazuichi spoke, much more serious than his previous tones.

“Hajime, just because you grew some more hair and got a big makeover, you become a playboy? How shameful!” chastised Mahiru. I can’t believe this is getting thrown back at me. What I was avoiding had ended up in my reality—becoming the strawmen for those to throw their frustrations at.

“Looks like Sonia and Mikan aren’t the only sluts here now,” cackled Hiyoko, releasing an explosive laugh. Izuru knew this, this…had to be reality for now. A blush came over my face as I looked below. How was this supposed to get any worse?

Nagito snuck a kiss along the side of my face, wrapping his arms around me tightly. I figured this would end up this way. I could hear the shocked reactions of others around me.

“I thought—well, fuck it. I ship it,” Ibuki stated, clapping as if this had been some sort of farce.

* * *

 

“Hajime, I think that’s how it would go. Honestly,” spoke Nagito after a very long two-and-a-half-hour description of what would happen if we came to the dining room at the same time. The comb made one final tug through my long hair, fully combed out in front of the bathroom mirror.

“Honestly?” I asked.

“Honestly.” Nagito said.

“Well, I guess, that does bring things full circle. Weren’t you the one worried that you would be getting a lot of questions if you came after me? And what’s with all the romance angst? And why do you think I’d mess up so much with lying,” I questioned. Nagitos’ face looked away, a blush scrawling on his face once more.

“Well, it’s almost noon, we’re really hungry, and I highly doubt the worst-case scenario would ensure. Besides, if Hajime can only be my boyfriend in this room, I’d like to maximize that as much as possible,” Nagito explained, leaving small kisses on each of my cheeks. I blushed, turning away from him.

“Sure, Sure. And I guess you’re just dolling me up to show me off to the others,” I joked. My long strands of hair were now shampoo’d, conditioned, and combed to perfection. I did most of the water handiwork while Nagito blow dried and combed out my hair. Nagito knew how to tell an interesting story—got awfully detailed too. It could have done without most of the romance drama, otherwise, an ok walkthrough of what would happen if I fumbled our story. The interesting thing regarding the story was that Nagito knew I had dual personas: Izuru and Hajime. Did he understand my conflicting personalities? I smiled a bit wider at the detail Nagito took in describing those difficult emotions.

“I do what I can. That hair will be a hassle and a half to take care of.  Then again, you didn’t ask for your hair to be changed that way…” trailed off Nagito. Wait, what? I thought this was my original body?

  
“What do you mean by that?” I asked. Within the mirror I watched as Nagitos carefree face was taken over a by a look of fear. I studied his face, trying to deduce what caused the sudden mood change. Instinctively, I surveyed the area around the bathroom. Were there…there…cameras in here? I knew of the one in the dorm room, but in the bathroom, really? What did Nagito want to say that the camera could pick up? I brought my attention back to Nagito. His face still was afraid, however, I watched Nagito force a smile.

“If you don’t remember now, I don’t want you to yet. I want as many of these carefree moments that we can have as possible. I get the feeling, once everyones memories come back, things will never be the same,” Nagito said with a strained smile. Was he…purposely hiding things from me? I needed to address this now before the rage came. I turned around and faced Nagito, his fear showing but concealed underneath his current wide smile.

“Why are you hiding things from me? Do you know why my appearance changed so drastically? Why do you refuse to tell me?” I asked, my hands beginning to grip either shoulder of Nagito. He, seeming lifeless, avoided my gaze.

“I am hiding things from you for the same reason why I kiss you so much. For the same reason why I see you in such high regard. And, I guess, I am hiding the very reason why I see you in such high regard. I am hiding this to keep you safe, I promise you. This bear is being more ruthless than you think with our memories. There is a reason why Monomi took them out in the first place, and as they slowly trickle in for me, all I really want to do is forget. Forget the pain. Forget every memory that was placed around the person behind all of this,” Nagito said before pulling himself away from me. I tugged to keep him close, but, he still escaped my grasp somehow. Nagito exited the bathroom and began to pluck at clothes to wear for the day.

“So…I’m supposed to suffer in ignorance?” I asked.  Izuru felt extremely peeved by this notion. How could Nagito withhold the one thing of myself that I have a link to? To this body that I hardly recall doing much more than walking around Japan, commenting on life, and wanting to see some sort of battle between despair and hope. Nagito proceeded to ignore me, grabbing clothes from one of the drawers. I expected to get angered by this. But, instead, I felt nothing. I recalled the quick flashes of blood on checkered flooring as well as the brown-haired boy with glasses. The state Towa was likely in now. All these terrible things, were there more? And somehow Nagito bared through this entire sequence without much more than a few smiles and hugs from me? Had I been behaving selfishly?

 As we both finished getting ready for a new day, I let out an annoyed sigh. Nagito was giving me some sort of silent treatment.  Nagito had his back turned toward me as he finished getting ready.

“Are we going to leave now or what?” I asked in a biting tone. I was tired of the silence. If Nagito wouldn’t talk to me now I’d find someone else to speak with. Maybe.

Nagito slipped on his tan shoes in silence, exiting the dorm room. I wanted to chase after him and get answers to my questions. I wanted Nagito to give me the truth instead of some sort of roundabout answer. But, in my Hopes Peak uniform, I stood alone now. I watched Nagitos figure as he exited the doorway. As the door swung close again, I closed my eyes. I couldn’t be sure if Nagito couldn’t talk due to the cameras or if there was something I did in the past to hurt him. I balled both my hands into fists for a few seconds, repressing some painful memories. An annoying voice drilled into my head.

“Kamakura Kamakura yas queen~!” a high pitched female voice spoke in my mind. I winced at the remembrance of the tone and pitch of the speaker. Her face was too blurred in my memory to match up with a person. Whoever this chick was, I never wanted to hear her voice again. 


	11. The Past - Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annd a gorey chapter this is! Enjoy! MM(Monokuma Matinee later tonight).

I was crouched over the bottom edge of bed at this point, breathing heavily. It was half an hour since Nagito made his silent exit.  The long strands of hair that were once combed stood at different ends of my head now. I couldn’t think straight. Ever since that high pitch voice invaded my conscious, it just kept growing. In different dialogue tags, in different settings, even present during that chainsaw memory. Who was this girl and why was she so toxic? I faced the bed beneath me, thinking things over. If Nagito was working with that bear, it would explain why it was so easy for us to room together. But, wait…Nagito wasn’t the one to suggest it.

_"Oooh, I forgot students! Since we are using the old dorm setup, we're actually short a room. So if a couple of guys don't mind sharing a room, go for it. Otherwise, Sonia will be roomless for the night~" Monokuma appeared in the middle of us, seemingly out of nowhere. A comical heart left his outstretched paw._

_"Sonia??? Without a room?? Unacceptable!" Byakuya exclaimed._

_"Exactly! I vote Hajime and Komeada split a room," Chiaki suggested. Those within the room nodded in agreement. Huh -- why us two -- why not anyone else?_

 

I kept choking on my breaths, trying to regain my composure, but the memories kept coming. I was afraid. Who am I? Why am I here? Who is this woman in my memories?  Why would Chiaki make such a quick proposition without thinking of it for more than a second? I needed to talk to her for more answers. But, first, calm myself down so I could leave the room.

I pulled a pillow and the covers off the bed and wrapped them around me. Resting my back against the bed frame, I dug my fingers through my hair. I didn’t want to remember the killings I had done. Or the friends I’d hurt the process. Did those people remember too? I could feel my mind begin to calm down, my body feeling tired. No; I had to leave this room and talk with the others. I couldn’t stay in the room forever being coddled by Nagito. My fingers ran themselves through my hair several times, creating a disheveled look. All that work for not, well, it’s not fair either way. We were supposed to leave together, after all. Now I’m on the floor struggling to think of my next move.

I noticed a familiar black-and-white stuffed animal suddenly appear in front of me. His usual snarky demeanor was replaced with an eerie silence.

 “What do you want now?” I asked. It was awfully quiet, a stark contrast to what it had acted like earlier. Why was it just standing there, staring at me, not saying anything?

“...Well?” I asked again, reaching out to wave my hand in front of its face. I didn’t want to get stared at by this creepy bear much longer. I watched as the infrared eye began to blare out florescent red lighting, the lights in the room shutting off.

“I’m just here to jog your memory about something. And, in advance, good luck,” Monokuma said. The words felt so uncharacteristic of him to say. I pulled back at the words, but Monokuma already put one of his paws on my forehead. And, without warning, my body felt paused.

. . .

**Towa City**

**Six and ½ months after HPA Class 78ths’ killing game**

**Day time**

**Non-descript Secondary School Rooftop**

**6:27pm**

My eyes trailed the sun, diving into a decaying city. Bright pink and yellow hues made the occasional streak of blood appear like stripes of maroon paint on a finished canvas. The crying of kids and adults alike made the atmosphere feel a bit apocalyptic. But, if you ignored the screams for help and dead bodies, there was a nice sunset today. I had been admiring it through a metal fence while dueling an opponent. We jammed both ends of the only doorway with junk off the street to deter others from joining in. T͎̗̙̙͙ḥ̱͖̼̞a̖̼͈t̼̰ ̳̝̫̼̪̦p͍̻̮̻̜e͉̥̬̳rs̥̪͎ͅo̝̹̪̲̰͕n͜ said it was needed for her plan to be executed and well, orders keep me occupied.

For an acclaimed serial killer, she was losing her touch. Not even a scratch on my skin. The suit I was wearing had one cut at the front, but I backed away from her advance too quick for much else. T͎̗̙̙͙ḥ̱͖̼̞a̖̼͈t̼̰ ̳̝̫̼̪̦p͍̻̮̻̜e͉̥̬̳rs̥̪͎ͅo̝̹̪̲̰͕n͜ instructed me on her looks, often describing them as “uncool” and “disgusting” and that “I would smell her before seeing her”. Her outfit was a dark colored school girl uniform, her hair a bushel with pins stuck in.  Her weapon of choice: a specialty sharp style of scissors. Her name: Touko Fukawa. Several pairs of cutlery were thrown around the rooftop. Hopefully the pair within Toukos’ hands were the last in her arsenal. A clang of metals echoed upon the school rooftop. I pressed a thick metal pipe against opened shears.

“I will protect Master until I die!” screamed out Touko. Her red eyes pierced through my own at times like these, with such high determination.

The probability of Touko Fukawa surviving kept diminishing. Her attacks felt like empty threats that were afraid to draw blood. Fatal hits were nonexistent. A thick line of blood ran from her temple, tainting her glasses on the way down her face. I had her where I needed her, all she needed to do now was communicate intel. I could estimate her fatigue kicking in about now. Her legs began to shake as her body flew backward. How many hits could she really take after the last bombardment against her skull? 

“Why risk your life? All I need is a location. And, if he tells me what I need to know, no one needs to die,” I said. It was simple. I’m not sure why Touko Fukawa was being stubborn. As a serial killer, she should be accustomed to slaughtering humans. 

I lunged at her, anticipating her to block instead of making a full-on attack as usual. What a stale killer. What was clouding her judgement to the point of her own craft being muddled to a defensive style? I felt her scissors generate a ‘ting’ sound against the metal pipe. On either side, I watched as Touko dipped her weapons close to my hands. One side of the shears carved small incisions to the pipe while the other cornered my fingers in. I raised the pipe up slightly, knowing full well I would get cut.

I brought the metal pipe down in a crushing jab, attempting to disable the usage of Touko Fukawas’ left arm. In response, Touko dragged her shears against my hands. A bit of blood was drawn. I looked at Toukos’ eyes, straining themselves to stay open at this point. Her left shoulder blade rotated forward, as if gauging the severity of the injury.  

“You ain’t getting any information from me! All of Future Foundations secrets are mine too,” Touko shouted much like some sort of protagonist. From her character traits, she wouldn’t do even as a support cast member. As I saw her body about to retreat from mine, I squished my fingers against the metal pipe and between the intruding shears. I wasn’t leaving this position until I was fingerless or Touko was deceased.  The pain was there, burning in my fingers, but it would be temporary. Touko was a bit of a letdown after all; serial killers should have more flare to their killing.

“Do you even know what Future Foundation wants you to do? Or if they actually will protect you?” I asked. I highly doubted Future Foundation would save or patch up someone like her. Genocide Jill killed too many to be revered as a hero now. I watched her eyes, struggling between emotions. I could see the sadness in her wavering dedication, but still, a fire of determination was left in her glare at me.

“That doesn’t matter! All you should know is that I will never tell you where he is,” Touko responded, struggling to expand her weapons to wiggle them from my fingers reign. I pressed my fingers against the iron pipe I had been holding, which in turn, pushed her shears against the metal. More blood pooled from my fingers, causing a thin layer of blood to drip onto the ground between me and my adversary.   

“And I will not leave until I learn the location of Byakuya Togami or eradicate you,” I responded, feinting the metal pipe to Toukos’ left and then careening the pipe against the left portion of Toukos’ neck. An audible ‘crack’ could be heard from the impact. She cut my fingers deeper, pressing down hard enough to leak more blood from my fingers connective tissue. This act confused me however: why not cut my fingers fully before the impact—I was likely going to finish her after this next blow.  I watched her confidence break underneath the radiating pain of her neck. Her scissors splashed into the pool of blood that was left between us. Touko still had the nerve to glare at me, a frown on her face.  

“Fuck!” Touko screamed out, bringing both of her hands to the left portion of her neck. She had been assessing for damage, taking three staggering steps backward. If she moved back any further, she would hit the fence that ran the perimeter of the roof. I watched her struggle to keep a standing position, her fingers gingerly poking at her sustained injuries.

“I will ask you one more time: What is the location of Byakuya Togami?” I asked, taking a step forward. Some people needed a bit of ‘pain’ before they felt inclined to do things. The number of people who had this stubborn trait were the ones ş̻̦̱͔ͩh͖̙ͧ̈́͘e̪̹  
̤̺̥̣̒͒̆̆͜ assigned me to deal with; four so far.

I watched as Touko attempted to shake her head, but cringed in pain. She knelled to the ground, shuffling through her outfit. I gave her a few seconds to let the despair sink in. The despair that she had lost her last weapon. That she would need to either surrender her life for a place that didn’t even give her an official title or tell a piece of information to me.

“…Master will be safe if you kill me, right?” Touko asked after a few moments of silence, her hands retreating from her outfit, scissorless, “Then kill me! And make it quick. Jeez, never thought I’d say that line.”

I proceeded to move forward toward the falling Touko, resting on her right side. Blood began to pool beneath her body. Touko appeared to be well on her way to death now, but to be sure, I raised the pipe once more. What a pathetic end for a prolific killer: dead by a romantic enchantment. Instead of giving her the slow death she deserves or the quick death she requested, I had a more despair inducing idea in mind.  I held the metal pipe above my head, a twisted grin growing on my face. I began to cackle, shaking my head.

“You’re pitiful, Touko,” I said bringing the pipe down to first cripple the girl. Now that I thought about it, this was a pretty “uncool” and “disgusting” way to die. Touko deserved this: she was a serial killer for many years. And, on top of that, a rat that escaped the killing game that ended abruptly. It took a few minutes, but her legs were bruised and barely moved. I took in the satisfying aroma of the blood that cloaked the outside of the pipe. Touko, despite her best efforts, missed her attack of three barreling blood-coaked scissors aimed at my head. I evaded them with ease, the shears flying to the other side of the roof. What a waste of a final stand.

“I said quickly, you idiot! This h-hurts! I’ll pass out due to shock before I even die,” yelled Touko, but haha, I had a plan for that mouth too. As I positioned the metal pipe above her throat, I saw her eyes close.

“That’s enough Izuru. I think if we bring her ba—" a voice spoke from the shadows, but I was already lost in it: despair. Toukos’ blood spurted against the metal fence. I couldn’t stop myself: this was too fun! Hearing Touko yell over and over for the pain to stop, but no, I would play with her as she played with me. Not taking me seriously. Barely attacking me like I was some sort of child. Before Touko left this Earth, I would let her know that I was an actual living threat among the eyes of those who clung to hope too tightly.

It wasn’t until the sun was close to departing the city that the metal pipe found itself broken amid Toukos’ broken glasses. I had nothing to mangle the girls’ body with further. No one would be able to tell this was Touko besides her outfit. Future Foundation should be able to, without question, register me as a threat within their systems. I was panting at this point, wiping the remnants of blood from my suit. I’d need a new one soon.

“Well, as always, you over deliver. What to tell h͕͞e̾҉̗̩̥͎͚r͕͎̠͇͌ͬ̌ͨ this time? You didn’t even get any heavy injuries for me to bullshit about it being a close fight,” the voice spoke, walking close to the scene. The white-haired boy looked over my features. He laughed a bit, kneeling to get a closer view of the beaten body. Nagito was his name I think—the person ŝ̹͖̰̜̮̠ḧ̸̺́ͪ̓e͜ paired with me to heal and otherwise care for me.  

Blood leaked out from what remained of Toukos eyes, her lips hanging by few remaining attached muscles. Her entire body was beaten, skin bruised or otherwise peeling from the delicate muscle layer underneath. The last breath left her body, forced, as if holding onto some trivial hope that someone would save her. I was certain Kotoko was having her fill “motivating” Komaru and torturing her per ḩ͈̩̦̰̪̼ͪ͋͡eͩ̆̍̊͆҉̴̺̤͠r̪̞̣̺̺͔͈̀͐ͦ͒ͣ̍̍̚͟ͅinstructions.  

“Well. I didn’t want to disappoint her by saying her little lover was safe if she died. I found it more interesting if she died with that ignorance, despair consuming her thoughts as she was beaten to death. At least, that’s what I think s͙̟̘̩͕̒̕ẖ̴͔͚̿́͡e̷̟̞͕̣̝̼̳̟ͥ̏͛͂  
̶̵̠̣͉͎͓͉̱͔ͧͮ̇ͣ̇̀̍would do,” I muttered to the boy. I brandished my cut hands to him, a few droplets of blood running down my wrists. He needed to fix this. Nagitos’ eyes scanned the damage before letting out another loud laugh.

“Well, I guess it goes to show you that some people will never change. I even warned her—at the outskirts of the city—when one of those kids—” Nagito began, but I shook my head at him. I pressed my fingers closer to his face to signal I needed medical attention. A drop of blood was coming close to being transferred onto his nose. Nagitos’ eyes rolled a bit, huffing as he dug into his hoodie pockets.

“Fine, I’ll patch you up. But I’m still going to tell you this story,” rattled on Nagito as he cleaned and bandaged my wounds. Nagito proceeded to go on this hope rant about how Komaru Naegi passed up the chance to be a successor to some sort of throne, Toukos unhealthy infatuation for Togami, how to hunt the remaining truants from Class 78, etc. etc.  I stayed quiet per usual. Nagito was a strangely talkative person around me. I could never understand why. He was quiet and awfully spiteful near the others. I watched as his hands rub against each other, applying hand sanitizer, once he finished wrapping my hands up.

The sun was fully set and the darkness of the night came on as fire roared across the city. Large trash bins with the words “Demon Fire” itched into them gave light to the powerless city. Chaos between the kids and the adults persisted through the darkness. I took a couple of steps toward the fence, looking down at the ongoing fights. I heard Nagito follow, standing next to me. His hand wrapped around mine, gently, poking at several different areas with his fingers.

“Well, with Touko gone, it should allow the area to fall into deeper despair. Don’t you agree,” asked Nagito, lightly pressing his thumb into my palm. My eyes darted to him, narrowing at his figure. My free hand pulled at his metal collar, giving it a good yank. He knew better than to press against fresh wounds. I watched as his look of happiness became overwhelmed with a grin, small pieces of saliva exiting either corner of his mouth.

“Ah…understood,” Nagito whimpered, slowly retreating his hand, “Be sure to hold on tight…I don’t want to be lost in this city. Or don’t. Whatever you wish is my desire.” I huffed at his usual acute mood swings. I shook my head a bit, tugging him a bit closer to me.

“Tell me. What’s next?” I asked him. I had a feeling he knew something.

“I don’t know. When we get back, I’m sure s̙͍̱͉̼͖̲ͧͤͤ̾̆ͮ͗h̨͖̳͇̣̹͇͐͛͞ę͎̘̬̅͌͂̄͑ͤ͜'̨̺̹̠͋̓̑ͨ̿ľ̶̨̼̯̫̘ͥͤ̄̓l̫̥ͯͩͦ͌ͯͪ͛ͦ͞ͅ  
̂̉̎̊͏̬̦̪͎͜give us more instructions. I think s̙͍̱͉̼͖̲ͧͤͤ̾̆ͮ͗h̨͖̳͇̣̹͇͐͛͞ę͎̘̬̅͌͂̄͑ͤ͜'̨̺̹̠͋̓̑ͨ̿ľ̶̨̼̯̫̘ͥͤ̄̓lͯͩͦ͌ͯͪ͛ͦ͞  
̂̉̎̊͏̬̦̪͎͜ wants to prepare for a new game,” Nagito said, putting one hand against his collar. His fingers crawled against the metal frame in thought.

“A game? I don’t think having more children kill adults will do much besides extinct humanity,” I replied, pulling Nagito a bit closer to me. I watched as Nagitos hands instinctively pulled at his collar. Red began to cover his cheeks, his eyes finding somewhere below in the fire to fixate on.

“Not that type of game. A mutual killing one. With different students. Maybe different setup. I dunno,” Nagito spoke, quick at first but then drifting off into his own head. Liar.

I pulled his collar tighter this time, such that his body was rested against my shoulder. Nagitos’ hands struggled against the force, his fingers stroking his exposed throat. His face, still red, began to sputter words that made no sense.

“Speak clearer,” I said. Hopefully the request was simple enough for him to follow. His red face looked up to me, white swirls in his eyes.

“I think ţ̭̝̤̝͍̞͚̩̏̆h̭̥̳͓͐̊ͭͨ͒̇ë͙̬̱̗̭́̓̅͒͂͐͗ ̯̖̪̭ͧ̇ͮͨ̓̉̅ͣͯ͢ͅl͕͙̭̙͈̝̒ͤ̌ͅȁ͒ͥ̄ͧ͝͏̗ḋ͙͔y̖͋̇͐ͫ͢—̴͖̩͖̺̝̎̐͊̈́̂̎͗̏͒͘ͅs̴̊͋̒ͧ͋̊͏̲̝̯͖̝̲͢ḥ̸̡̝̬̬͎̺̩ͪ̆͛ͯ̈́ͦͅe̴̳̼͍̫̱̭̾ͫ̇ͣ̋̔̂̊ ̙͖͈̣̞̙̱̲̽ͮͫ̽ͤ̊͛ͧ̋ wants to keep some things as surprises. Isn’t that why you’re allies with us in the first place?” asked Nagito. He caught me off guard—rare but it happens—and I gripped his chain above my head. This caused his body to stumble onto mine closer. His head was in my chest. I needed to know more.

“So?” I whispered. I felt his hands leave his collar and wrap themselves around me. I could feel his face nuzzle into my chest.

“It will be exciting,” Nagito said into my chest, words muffled beyond belief. Whatever—this will do for now.


	12. Chapter 9.5 - Monokuma Matinee - Topic: Control

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As promised! New chapter next Sunday per usual! Thanks for 500 views in under a month : D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> con·trol (kən-trōl′)  
> tr.v. con·trolled, con·trol·ling, con·trols  
> 1\. To exercise authoritative or dominating influence over; direct: The majority party controls the legislative agenda.   
> 2\. To adjust to a requirement; regulate: rules that control trading on the stock market; valves that control the flow of water.  
> 3\. To hold in restraint; check: struggled to control my temper.  
> 4\. To reduce or prevent the spread of: used a pesticide to control insects; controlled the fire by dousing it with water.  
> 5.  
> a. To verify or regulate (a scientific experiment) by conducting a parallel experiment or by comparing with another standard.  
> b. To verify (a financial account, for example) by using a duplicate register for comparison.  
> n.  
> 1\. Authority or ability to manage or direct: lost control of the skidding car; the leaders in control of the country.  
> 2\. One that controls; a controlling agent, device, or organization.  
> 3.  
> a. An instrument.  
> b. controls A set of such instruments.  
> 4\. A restraining device, measure, or limit; a curb: a control on prices; price controls.  
> 5.  
> a. A standard of comparison for checking or verifying the results of a scientific experiment.  
> b. An individual or group used as a standard of comparison in a scientific experiment, as a group of subjects given an inactive substance in an experiment testing a new drug administered to another group of subjects.  
> 6\. An intelligence agent who supervises or instructs another agent.  
> 7\. A spirit presumed to speak or act through a medium.

"Control is a multi-purpose concept. Many could say I like control. Few are able to say they like to be controlled. Within those few, there are the ignorant and the pleasantly satiated. Most would love to say they are the latter but are the former. Humanity enjoys to think that they are in control, that nothing is out of reach, that we are our own bosses. But, as the crushing sense of reality constantly weighs in, we are in a pecking order. Nothing could quantify this idea mathematically. Nothing can even begin to completely collate our worth on  a scale or some sort of psychological stereotyping. We are simply better or worse than others. That is all there is to it."

"In context of regular, day-to-day life, here's a scenario for you. You are suddenly robbed of all of your possessions. What non-necessity device do you replace with insurance if only one item is covered? It'll say a lot about your character. Or, moreover, the lack thereof character. We live in a modern age which people often do not think of worse case scenarios. For someone wanting to control and manipulate others, this culture is fantastic. Prey on the underlying sense that someone is better than you or has the ability to recover an item greater than a persons net worth. Start a fight that  is devoid of meaning and give it some sort of symbolism. Then, while giving the problem, offer a solution to the stated problem as if it has been around for ages. And then you have a militia of people eating out of your hand due to a problem that never existed or was non-issue. Go out and destroy a few cities, will ya? That's all for now!"


	13. The Past II - Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoy! As usual, new chapter next week Sunday. I'm going to be adding a survey regarding future posting and/or a new story I'm thinking of working on. Link will be in the chapter notes. Comment, like, whatever you wanna do to show your support for this.

. . . .

**Towa City**

**Seven and ½ months after HPA Class 78ths’ killing game**

**Evening**

The Excalibur **[Ballroom, Docked on Towa Hills]**

**8:04pm**

 

Nagito tapped against my hand and gestured to those in front of me. Five kids, all looking tuckered out and covered in mud, stretch. Their outfits were oversized white tees with jean shorts underneath. To dirty a ballroom with such little care, they had to be the despair ridden and the tween aged kids Nagito mentioned. One kid had a brown hoodied contraption stuck to his face along with his outfit.  I turned my head to whisper to Nagito, which he replied by putting a finger to his lips. I returned my attention to the kids in front of me as one of them cleared their throat.

“Ahem! Servant, helper, thank you for coming today! We’ve been assigned by Big Sis to review the progress we made and come up with ideas for the next big despair event!” shouted the red-head, who went by the pseudo title of leader from what Nagito told me. Even after being betrayed by one of his friends, nearly dying to the adults, and being used as a pawn—he wanted to stay friends and reinvent the group he had been in. It amazes me how s̵̴̢̯̦̝͔͜͞h͢͜͢͏̶͇̺̠̖̺̯̗̗̺̺̰̲̫̯ͅę̸̢͏͓̦͍̗̝̦̫͈͇͕͚̭̥ͅ manages to manipulate people even after the worst. The one with the mask threw both of his hands up, walking up to call attention to himself but falling on his own feet.

“Jeez Jataro, so uncool! I’ll start with the beginning! Before we, the Warriors of Hope, were established, Big Sis spread despair first with The Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History! From there, the world came to realize the injustices that persist,” the pink-haired girl spoke, stepping in front of the hoodied kid. For tweens, they spoke well enough to be leaders of a town like this. But what did s̵̴̢̯̦̝͔͜͞h͢͜͢͏̶͇̺̠̖̺̯̗̗̺̺̰̲̫̯ͅę̸̢͏͓̦͍̗̝̦̫͈͇͕͚̭̥ͅ gain from controlling these pesky kids? Sure, from what I learned, they came from the elementary school sect of Hopes Peak. But they were too tiny to go global or outside the confides of Towa City. And, if they did, what would killing most of the adult population achieve besides extinction? I tilted my head, stuck on the argued point that came to mind. A girl with green-hair, known as Monaca, came in front of the fray, the rest seeming to take a step or two away from her. I would do the same (if not leave entirely) if I weren’t in a convoluted alliance with my least favorite person.  Monaca bowed before speaking.

“After what is now referred to as the tragedy, uprisings started popping up everywhere. About one year after the Tragedy, HPA class 78th went live to display the true potential of despair! It was the first mutual killing game Big Sis constructed to air all around the world. Sadly, six of the original class members escaped due to finding a loop hole in the rules. After Makoto Naegi was found guilty for the murder of Mukuro Ikusaba, he was saved by a virus in the schools computing system. Once Makoto was recovered by the truant Kyoko Kirigiri, they teamed up with the remaining four to defeat Big Sis in a final class trial. Before fằ̘͙̥̥̼͓̣̋ś̀ͤ͘h͒̓̄ͩ̽ị̯̬o͈̾̿̊ͬͅņ̬̮ͬ̃̈́͂̂ͭî̟̥̩ͩ͌̉̂̚s̼͈̤̿t͎̘̗̻̂̉̐̆ͅa̱̗͔̹͔s̪͔̤͓͔̠̱ fate was chosen, the six students escaped school premises with the keys Kyoko obtained.  By using a hidden Monokuma that was built in the Sauna, they distracted and nearly killed Big Sis. Oh, this part gets so hard to tell, Nagisa, please tell the rest,” Monaca explained, curling up next to the final member to speak. His hair was blue (likely dyed) and his face was covered in a crimson blush. What a colorful bunch of kids—I was beginning to feel irate that ş̼͖͚̲̗̠̝̎̋͊h͎͙̮͚̙͙̼͍̲̎͝e̢̦̘̱͈̳͓̬͙̝ͮ͒̅͑ͥ would pair me up with such a precarious group. What was I going to do with Nagito and the kids—make sure they eat their veggies? I kept my stolid face on the surface, but I was beginning to boil on the inside. Someone like me shouldn’t be reduced to childcare.

“O-ok Monaca. In the end, Ŭ̢̞̖̺̯̞͍͍̓ͬ̇̿ͅl̶̡͈͕̮̥̯̤̇̿͆̅ͣ̌̂ͬ̅iͤͣͩͤ͗̍̇͏̛̦̣ ̡̛̤̱̦̻̹̆͛͗͑͌H̵̢͖͉̠̯̥̝ͧ̆͌̄ͭͤi͓̗͉̜̅̓͛̎̍̉̌͒͝ ͤͦ̋́͛ͮͣ͒͏҉͏̮G̢̺͎͍̝̰ͩ́̐͆̔͢ ̓͒͛ͦ҉̥̝͖̣̻̞Ş͖̎͋͊̄̂͂͞S̶̸̜̠̝̣̯̻ͭ͌ͯͬ͢C̷̟͓͇̬̝̖̼͆̃͗̓̈́̚͜o̸̦̮͙̟͎̙̓̑ͨͧ̏ͣ͡l̵̵̨̰̻͋ͪ̊́͒ͥ ̩̭͖̮̙̼̻͒͑̏ͥ͟F̝̗̼̠̞͔͎͚̮͌ͬͮ̐ͨͥ͠A̸̲̙̙̺̲̖͋̏ͭ̆̈́̂͐S̡̼̙̝̘͕̩͒̈́̓͘H̛̹̣͉̭̟̮̘ͯ͒̈́̈́̉ͅÏ̢̩̱̦̘̖͎͉̞ͥ̄̔̽͟͟ͅOͯ̈́̈͌̌͏̣͕̤̬̰̪͘͢N͌͌̌̑͗͐ͥ̚̚҉̬̞  lost her hand in the 2-day skirmish against the Monokuma built by HPA Class 78th. It was uncovered, once Big Sis tore the bot up and locked down the school, Makoto had been operating the Monokuma. As collateral, Big Sis took Makotos’ hand to replace hers with. Makoto, with the help of the truant Kyoko, escaped the school once more. Their locations are still unknown.  Three of the four other captives have been neutralized per Big Sisses orders. Byakuya Togami is the last remaining truant for us to find and kill! About five months after the abrupt ending to the killing game, the Warriors of Hope began to rise to power. We, despite the best efforts of Komaru Naegi and Touko Fukawa, remain dominate as the cities current leaders. Touko did manage to free our captive, Byakuya Togami, during her brief altercation between Monaca and the now deceased Kurokuma. Once we find and neutralize Byakuya Togami, Big Sis wants to start another project to spread despair further into society. We’ll open the floor to suggestions now,” Nagisa explained, a bit more elegantly than I expected. Huh—so that’s what I’ve forgotten since I got out of the hospital ran by those little shits. What cruel institution would scramble my memories so much that I couldn’t recall such big events in history? I glanced over to Nagito, whom seem to be taking every word the children were saying to heart. Was I really supposed to take this seriously? S͚ͩͭ́ͫ͒ͤḪ͍̫ͤI͚͈G̟̠̺̲͓͕ͩ͑͌H̪̥̝͟S̴̖ͫ͑C̻ͫͥͮH̠̹̲̦̘̻̲̀O̧͚͇̜̜̠͐͆O͎̫̲̦͆̾ͤͮ͛ͥL̥̖̹̼̥̕F̖̞͇̩̘̟̅ͨÅ̞̺͕̜̬̩͂S̾͂ͬ̓̋H͇͕͈̠̺͑̋̓ͤͥ̌ͥỊ̛͕̗̖͎̈́̂N̊͑́́͐̾̈͏͕̞̺ was smart enough to think up of her own schemes.  

“Well, besides the part you excluded about me being chosen to wield h͓̫͙͔̗͍̠̰̯ͪ͜e̸̝͔̮̖͉̪̗̒͛̈́r̰̩̯͎̦ͩ͗̿̕ hand, you guys did an admirable job of breaking down the current climate. I do think another killing game, with higher stakes, would drive a much deeper despair into the world,” Nagito commented. I glanced over and saw one of Nagitos’ hand had been tucked into an oven mitt. He had only spoken of it in passing, often changing the subject as soon as it came up. What would drive him to such insanity as to take h͓̫͙͔̗͍̠̰̯ͪ͜e̸̝͔̮̖͉̪̗̒͛̈́r̰̩̯͎̦ͩ͗̿̕ hand? How did Nagito manage to get to U͜L҉HISHO҉FAS͝H̢ION͠YA͘ hand before it hit the rigor mortis state? Wait, wouldn’t that mean Nagito was hiding away in or near the school? I was going to speak up, but I saw a look of irritation on Nagisas’ face.

“Oh shut up Servant! You know we only called you here to bring us snacks and help us run bath water, right? We just spent the entire day digging up clues for finding one of the last truants. We got intel from one of the kids that Byakuya could be hiding underground,” Nagisa said to Nagito, narrowing his eyes at him. Just how long was Nagito being handmaiden to this group of kids? I took another glance at them, the hooded figure one starting to get up from his fall.

“D-Despair is important, but I think we also need to consider the creativity factor. I’m sure Big Sis wants to do something no one else has ever thought of! I vote she creates a virtual world to bring over those who still have hope and crush it out of them virtually! Like that anime .Heck Sign!” suggested Jataro, his brown hood stretching as he spoke. The other four kids laughed at the suggestion, waving their hands at him dismissively.

“Creativity? No way. I think the most efficient use of creativity and despair-induciness would be to continue to crush and exterminate the remaining demons in the world,” the pink-hair girl retorted, a shine showing in her eyes before turning Jataro, “And no, that’s Sword*yrt Online dummy.” The green-haired girl let out a loud laugh, which caused the others to stay silent and enter a certain placidity. Maybe, as Nagito said, Monaca was the true leader of the group.

“Guys, you’re forgetting something important. After recklessly destroying both advisers in Towa City, helper guy is going to help us come up with ideas. Big Sis suggested he stay in residence for us to completely cloak Towa City in despair. So, what do—oh wait, I don’t think we’ve had the pleasure of all meeting at once. Helper has only had the pleasure of having direct reports to me. As you should know and recall by now, my name is Monaca Towa. Creator of the cute cuddly and destructive Monokuma bears and overlord of Towa City. Everyone introduce yourself,” Monaca spoke in such a roundabout voice. Rub it in more won’t you—that I’m stuck guarding some children? I could feel myself grimace on the inside.  

“Names Masaru. I’m the...a member of the Warriors of Hope. I look forward to your guidance,” Masaru said, taking a bow a few inches from me. Why the sudden switch to formal? And, as expected, he hesitated in calling himself a leader. To be the first to be taken down in the group, the status of leader surely didn’t fit him anymore.

“My name is Kotoko Utsugi! Please give us plenty of innovative ideas for the world to be buried in despair and for the demons to suffer,” Kotoko said, curtsying to the left of Masaru. Nagisa, although attempting to move to lineup with the rest, had his hand squeezed by Monaca. His flushed face somehow turned a deeper color of red.

“N-Nagisa Shingetsu. It is a pleasure to meet you,” Nagisa stuttered. Monaca nodded to his introduction, planting a small kiss on the boys’ cheek. Jataro, the last one left to speak, stumbled and fell again to the right of Masaru.  

“Uh—uhmp! My name is J-Jataro. Kemuri. I’m not very useful but I can create stuff,” Jataro stated, looking over to the side. So, all in all, S̴̻͓͍͞H̵̴͓̮̩͙̪S͔̯͖̬F̫͉̰̪͈ͅA̛̰̪̙̣͕̲̪͘͢S͏̙͍͕̱̹H͉̦̙̲̳̣̮̩Ị͜O̹̠͍͠N̖͚̼͉͎͈͜ expected me to carry out the wills of kids? How pathetic. I began to wonder how Nagito dealt with it all. I shot a glance over to him, having a carefree smile on his face. Sometimes I wish I didn’t have thoughts constantly run through my mind to be able to smile blissfully like that.

“Helper, did you need Nagito to go fetch you something?” asked Monaca, my attention being brought back to the puffy faced kid, “He’s really good at making smoothies.” From what I learned from Monaca so far in the past few months, she often stated things in relation to others. In this case, **she** wanted Nagito to bring **them** smoothies. Nagito began to shuffle toward two double doors, beginning to exit the room.

“Ok, smoothies it is,” Nagito said, submissive. For me to be such a powerhouse, it began to anger me beyond the point that I could hide. I was the ultimate analyst. The ultimate medic. And here I am—watching kids pick their nose and look for some sort of fucking order from me.

“Sure. The only thing I can suggest as a means of spreading despair is another broadcasted killing game in a different environment. A virtual would be interesting to see, but considering your financial backing is likely low, not able to be created in a reasonable time frame,” I answered the best I could.  

S͓̩͆ͭ̒ͥ͐h͉͔̫ͪͬ̇e̷̤̫̳ͤ̐̽ ̐ͨ̏ͯ̀͐҉͔̼̝̞̮̰̘ẉ̢̭̭͚͉̈̄̍̉̈́ͥo̡̻̪̺̊ü̧͍̩͈̝ͯͮ̔ͦ̅l̃́ͩ͡d̉̋͐̄ͬ̃҉͉̯  
̛̩̘̆͐̽̽ͫͦ  
̘̜̲̰̯̾̏̈̽̊S̹̖̯̳̘͗ͬ̒̒̈́͢h̳͙ͤͯ͑̍̽̊ê̻̤͎͔͓  
̻̾ͮͧ͝  
̳͙͉̦͚ͥ͐̓ͦ̏͗ͣ͞F̠̒͗̿ͦ̐Ą̩̩̝͙̫Ş̩͕̗͈̰̍H̜̯̟̭̜̹̊ͭ̑̚I̙̮̓ͭ͊O͍̻͔̺N͇̲̘͖̬͍̜͂̓̄̋  
͓ͪ͌ͪͥ̊ͤ  
̬̗̘̮̐ͨ̋ͩ̋D̻̤ͪ͜K̴͓̤͚̭͒ͩ͗ͯ͌  
͑ͬ̍͆̏̀͏̭͎  
͕̹̬̭͎̖͕̆͛̚͜S̡̺̙̪̎ͅḪ̦I̵͈̤͍̮̭̞͒̂ͣ̿͛  
̸̜͖̮̈̒́ͣ̃̽̚  
̝͍͚̮ͣJ͓̯̪̤̰͈̣U͚̓K͙̱͔̣̞̠ͩ͐̓̌D̻̉M͕̠̩̪͝C̵͔̝͎̣͚ͦ͌͛X͖͎͙̼̥̭̆͋̍K͙̓͊͋̔J̟̭̙̗̮̩̈́̊̕H͕̣͖̜̭ͩ͑ͣ̎ͯ̏͞B̭̽ͩF̜͔̳͉͖̊D͕̠̉̔͗̏B̙̲̦͜U̳̯͓̜͕̮͚̓͊͂̄I̝͇͚̜ͩ̉̈͋̚S͑̒ͯ҉͈̘͍̺O̬͗ͯ̎Ṿ̘̜͈͈̝N̯̞̪͊ͯJͫ̏̌̊͏̭͎͎͉͎K̥̦̇̉͂ͤ̚F̡͉̪̻̼̬̹̹̂ͭͥ̃D͍͚̩V̩̱̓ͪ̊C̱̬̼̺̯̪͚̉̉̌  
̶̗̫̬̭̜̞̋͌́ͪ̅  
̝͈̼̖̹̙̩̌

 

…ERROR. NEW BATCH PROGRAM ASSIGNED. . .

**.  .  .  .  .**

**Towa City**

**Eight and ½ months after HPA Class 78ths’ killing game**

**Night time  
**

The Excalibur **[Sleeping Quarters, Docked on Towa Hills]**

**3:35am**

It had only been seconds since I pulled myself away from the contents, but I couldn’t recall the dream. Was it something from my memories—or something entirely different that drew from the past year or so of existence?  I had taken residence in a strange bunker with pictures of h̐̃̄̿͒ȇ̶̆͒r̶ plastered everywhere. If it weren’t for the bomb shelter environment, I would’ve coined it to be some obsessed teenagers room. I wanted to decline the usage of the room, but Monaca seems to throw a tantrum when she does not get her way.  She kept flailing for a solid three minutes before Nagito suggested I take up her offer. Once I had agreed, her seemingly childish demeanor flipped to her usual stoic self. She warned me that Nagito usually sleeps there too, as it is usually where ‘the help’ sleeps.  I despised thinking of myself as some sort of servant to a girl nearly half my age, but that’s where I’m at now. It’s certainly better than what it could be. Monaca’s tantrums had decreased in their quantity since I managed to kill most of the escaped killing game members. Touko Fukawa was probably still smashed against that school rooftop. Aoi Asahina as well as Yasuhiro Hagakure and Komaru Naegi and were taken in by Kotoko for some sort of “motivational training”. Monaca wrote that off as a slow, tortuous death. When I attempted to ask further questions, Monaca changed the subject as she usually did with things she did not want to share.

I was only in her presence when Monaca had summoned Nagito, which in turn, summoned me. Most meetings between us three had been discussing what sͩ͂̕h̑ͩͣͦ̀̌͟e̴̔ wanted us to do, where Monaca wanted to expand, and rants about how we ‘demons’ were lucky to be in the presence of h̐̃̄̿͒ȇ̶̆͒r̶. When I first arrived to Towa, it had been a technologically advanced town. No one batted an eye when Monaca first rose to power in Towa. Now, the residents resort to setting fire to trashcans for light and disabling heavy machinery in fear Monaca would use it against them. I’m sure the remaining adults feel enormous amounts of despair each time Monaca throws the deceased children of their friends at the front lines. Such thoughts often got me excited and slightly less peeved that I was assigned to one of the youngest Despair Groupings.

I turned to my side, seeing the napping Nagito across the room. Something else against my wishes had been Nagitos’ sleeping arrangements. He had a hot pink sleeping pad that was meant for a cat. But, as always with these strange kids, they strongly suggested I had a sleeping buddy to ward off any demons. At least give him a bed. Then again, what did I know about the world besides what sͩ͂̕h̑ͩͣͦ̀̌͟e̴̔ showed me? The candle Kotoko brought down earlier was nearing its final few minutes of survival, only a few inches of wax left to burn in the hot pink metal basin.

I began to get out of the bed, thinking of getting some sort of late night drink before the light source blew out. Whatever dream I was having was not pleasant. Dreadful memories of me before this experiment sͩ͂̕h̑ͩͣͦ̀̌͟e̴̔ talks up were painful.

I recall how people treated me as Hajime and then as Izuru. Why was I meant to be some sort of godly figure above the rest? How could people prop up a teenage kid from high school and expect the world to gently fall against his shoulders? I balled my hands into fists, punching a nearby wall. A small dent had been made, thin lines of blood running down the concrete wall. This was no longer fun; existence was painful. s̸̶̛̺̻̟̯͆̂̄̂ͥ̍̍ͩ̒͂̾̈̈́̿ͨ͂̎̂̏Sh̰͚̩̪̼̩̝̦͇͈̜̩̟͉̦͔ͭ͆̉̃ͤ͝͞ĕ̡͈̩̜̞̲̫̬͚͈̰͈̇̉͋̊̉̅̓ͬ͛̈̔͡ͅ often joked that s̸̶̛̺̻̟̯̝̤̜͆̂̄̂ͥ̍̍ͩ̒͂̾̈̈́̿ͨ͂̎̂̏h̰͚̩̪̼̩̝̦͇͈̜̩̟͉̦͔ͭ͆̉̃ͤ͝͞ĕ̡͈̩̜̞̲̫̬͚͈̰͈̇̉͋̊̉̅̓ͬ͛̈̔͡ͅ, too, felt her existence being painfully boring. s̸̶̛̺̻̟̯̝̤̜͆̂̄̂ͥ̍̍ͩ̒͂̾̈̈́̿ͨ͂̎̂̏h̰͚̩̪̼̩̝̦͇͈̜̩̟͉̦͔ͭ͆̉̃ͤ͝͞ĕ̡͈̩̜̞̲̫̬͚͈̰͈̇̉͋̊̉̅̓ͬ͛̈̔͡ͅ could go on for hours regarding how people were so predictable and that everything in the world besides despair was drab. I’d often asked her how a high schooler could already surmise the world up into despair and boredom. She’d ignore me and go on some sort of rant about nail polishes and how to bolster despair in the world. It’s times like these, in bunkers and quiet like this, I was glad I was alone. I continued to punch the wall along the bed, more blood trailing down the wall. I could hear Nagito begin to stir awake.  

“Not sleep? What’s going on Izuru?” asked Nagito, stretching from his previously curled up position. His eyes looked bloodshot and his hair was matted. I offered to comb out his hair but Monaca protested profusely. For a girl to be so undertaken by despair, she appeared to care more about the actions of others than her own. I shook my head to Nagito, gesturing to the dent in the wall. I watched Nagito scan the wall and then immediately turn to the state of my hands.

“Izuru, you shouldn’t injure yourself like that! Your wounds from a couple of months ago just healed. I hope they have medical supplies down here, what’s even going on in your head,” Nagito responded, standing up from his cat bed and approaching me. I shook my head at his questions, shrugging. All Nagito really needed to do was fix this. There was no reason for why I punched the wall—no reason at all. I couldn’t let the despair that was I watching as an observer impact me. Then, there would be no control or sense to the situation at all.

“Just fix this,” I said as Nagito began to shuffle around the room for a first aid kit. I watched him as I sat back down on the bed. Nagito kept shuffling through a variety of cabinets and dressers before coming across a large first aid kit.

“I can always patch up your physical wounds Izuru. You know that. It’s the emotional patch I can’t get into. That’s something only you can fix,” Nagito replied, pulling out a large med-kit from the other end of the room.  I took my eyes away from Nagito and toward the door as I began to think of leaving the room. Emotional pain shouldn’t exist for me—the curated hope—the ideal candidate to bring hope back to a despairing world. Somehow Hajime had slipped into the cracks of my design and was clouding my judgement of what I should do.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I lied, though I knew it would fall flat on Nagitos’ ears. He had a habit of always teasing the lies out of me. As Nagito began to approach me, he gestured for me to sit upright on the bed. As I got situated, he laid the med kit across my lap. I looked up to his face, blank.

“I’m not sure how much longer you’ll be able to lie like that,” Nagito teased, leaning in close to my face. I blushed, flustered and upset at his actions.  I separated our faces with my injured hand.

“Fix this,” I repeated. Nagito laughed softly at my reaction, taking my hand in his own. It was oddly silent once Nagito got to work on my hand. I typically couldn’t get this guy to shut up.

“Hey, Nagito…is it completely closed off from everything here,” I asked. I could never be sure.

“Yep, only room in the building without cameras or wiretaps or, well, anything,” Nagito responded, focusing on wrapping up my hand.  His hands were so delicate even with one oven mitt on. When we first met about a year ago, he seemed like a different person. Much more hate-filled. Now look at him; vying for my attention. A small smile came onto my face. Nagito appeared to have noticed this, looking me over once he sealed my hand up.

“Well, if you must do anything perverted, I guess I’m obliged to go along with it,” Nagito added with a cheesy grin. Behind his smile I could sense his nerves, his wavering absolution. With my healthy hand, I gave a nice yank to Nagitos chain to bring his face close to mine. 

“You have a dirty mind,” I mumbled to Nagito, “Are you actually comfortable here?” I watched his face as his sudden servant like atmosphere took an about face.  His smile turned into a more matured look, the curves at the ends of his mouth turning to a flirtatious glance. Although I held his chain, I watched as his fingers took the med kit from my lap and placed it in onto the ground. Nagito began to gently press closer, his body shifting onto my lap.

“I can’t help it around you. And, relatively, this is the most comfortable place there is to be. I can’t exactly live a normal life or try to hide out from the world anymore. With my luck, s̢̯̩̭͓ͬͪ̓ͭ̒̔̉h̛̤͍̙̦e̹̥̖͖̐ͫ̊͗̚͢ͅ  will only chase me down and treat me worse. In fact, I’m shocked that my luck has gotten me this far. And, to meet you, the supposed pinnacle of hope,” Nagito stated, a blush outstretched on his face. Once Nagito had finished securing his position on my lap, he gave me a sickeningly cute look. His eyes, partly directed to the wall behind me, attempted to focus on my face. His lips puckered inward, opening at times, but then closing right away.

“Can I get on the bed with you?” Nagito asked.

“Of course,” I said with a smile. Someone had to treat him with some respect.  Nagito began to readjust himself on my lap, his legs stretching past the foot of the bed. His head laid in my lap, lazily looking up at me. 

“Does your hand feel better?” asked Nagito.

“Yes,” I responded, not sure what else to do at this point. I couldn’t remember why I woke up anymore. Memories left and came through me these days. Nagito was my only anchor that assisted me in recalling things. I began to gently massage his hair, humming a tune to him.

“Why did you ask about the cameras? You tend to say whatever you want without question,” Nagito asked. I looked down at him. I could feel heat course through my cheeks, my mouth becoming dry. This should be an easy question—without the pressure of the cameras—but the words were stuck in my throat. My hands moved from Nagitos hair to his face, gently pulling along his delicate skin.

“H-Hey, that isn’t a proper answer,” Nagito said, flustered, beginning to tussle around with me on the bed. To humor the situation, I allowed Nagito to pin me to the bed. What would he do with me in such a compromising position, without anyone watching us?

I felt my head gently press into the pillow beneath me as Nagito stared at me. Our noses were barely touching as we stared at each other. Was this despair or something else that grew out of unpredictable folly? I could feel Nagito begin to breath in heavier, watching me with an alarming quantity of red consuming his typical pale face.   My hands began to rest against Nagitos back, gently pulling him lower onto me. I could feel the smile from earlier begin to grow a bit, a happier expression than before stretching across my face. As the candlelight was beginning to burn its final minutes, Nagitos face looked much less of some sort of serf and more of a…person.

“W-Well, still waiting on that answer,” Nagito questioned, his nose colliding with mine a bit. His lips trembled, his hands straddling my body. What an interesting reaction.

I brought my face up to kiss along Nagitos’ delicate face, against every beet-colored surface. His body felt warm, squishy, human…concrete. These moments with him felt like bliss. No one could take them away from me. The best part of this was that I knew s̴̶̡̨̟͙̳̻̹̤̦̪̖̞̋̇̓ͭ̏̿̃ͭh̽̊ͭ̎͊̑̑ͤ̿͒͑ͨ́͏̢̦̰̩͉̯͚̙̱͎͍̖̦͖̣̭̥̼ĕͧ̄ͯͮͯ̆̌͊̑̊̿̑̄̊̉͊҉͇͕̥͓̫̹͕͖͢  was not watching. The moment between Nagito and I felt very clean and not some softcore porn for someone just out of high school. But, then again, who am I?

My lips skated across Nagitos’ face, covering it in more scarlet red signatures of embarrassment. Nagito let out quiet quips, protests that sounded much more like moans. I don’t think Nagito was being quite honest to himself either. Along his cheeks, I let the tip of my tongue slide against Nagitos skin a bit longer to feel his radiating heat, my hands gently pulling at his shoulders.

Once I was left with the last piece of his face that I had left unkissed, Nagito was thoroughly bloodshot. His eyes couldn’t focus on a thing. His hands, crossed against his chest, tried to play up his own barrier.

“T-This isn’t acceptable as an answer, I hope you know that,” Nagito grumbled in a half-serious tone, struggling to keep in his own likely pent up frustrations of the past few months.

I planted a long kiss onto Nagitos lips, caressing his shoulder. I could hear him fall into the kiss, his crossed arms wrapping themselves around me. I pulled back once I felt his hands start to wrap around, giving him a stone-cold look.

“That’s the answer,” I said. It was a flat tone, supposed to be some sort of dead-pan humor I learned from one of the books Kotoko let me borrow. She claimed it taught a special type of humor, something along the lines of “Teasing Brats for Beginners”. I saw Nagitos’ face twist back to its pale self after a minute had passed by, resting his head against my chest. What was the answer though, to that question—hmm—should I confess?

“You’re cruel,” teased Nagito, laughing at me a bit. I poked his nose with my hand, my grin growing wider. I think this would be a rare sight for even me to imagine—grinning—enjoying myself.

“Is this how you behave normally? Is this normal,” I asked Nagito. Though appearing to be taken aback, Nagito let out a louder laugh this time. He shook his head at me, pulling his lips against mine again. I held the kiss longer, adjusting our bodies so I could lay on top of him.

Once I was satisfied with the response, I pulled back from his lips, watching Nagitos eyes especially. His eyes had longing to them I hadn’t seen yet. They were expecting something—I couldn’t figure out what action Nagito was anticipating next.

“Yes. I like this type of normal,” Nagito said with a sly grin. His hands snaked into my pants but I jerked him away.

“So this isn’t normal normal?” I asked.  My hands batted away Nagitos’ for the time being, attempting to get a straight answer. Nagitos eyes immediately reverted to a bit of sadness. His hands began to pull away from me and sneak from underneath my body. 

“Well…normal is subjective. The best I can suggest is to go with how you feel. I think you’re perfect the way you are, before and now after the experiment,” Nagito explained, looking over the edge of the bed. I did the same, watching the small amount of candlelight burn its last few seconds. It was getting to the bottom of the basin, the light beginning to dim into darkness. I readjusted myself to be lying behind Nagito, to keep close.

“I think you’re perfect too, Nagito,” I added. My hands gradually pulled Nagito into my arms, spooning him.  I could feel his back gently ease into mine. I left a peck on his cheek before closing my eyes.

“I don’t think Monaca will like finding me on the bed. She’s really insistent on me using the—” Nagito began.

“Shh. We’ll deal with the kids tomorrow,” I whispered, gently stroking Nagitos’ line of hairs that led into his boxers. I could feel Nagitos body began to squirm a bit, colliding with my figure more.

“You’re a real pervert, hope you know that,” Nagito mused, the candle flame extinguishing. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the survey!: https://www.quotev.com/quiz/9970489/New-Story


	14. The Jolly Knife III{School Life} - Chapter Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! A lot of tell you before this chapter! I am closing the survey request at 30 requests(it's currently at 25 right now) in hopes of getting this story completed in a reasonable amount of time. 
> 
> Also, I'm still deciding which new story I should make. I'll post the link to that survey at the end of this chapter. LASTLY, I am working on something special before the first official murder. I'm bouncing an idea around about having the first person to guess the correct murderer, weapon, and motive to get a free one shot written by me. Let me know what you think in the comments.
> 
> Enjoy the new chapter!

 I looked around and noticed others with frightened looks on their faces. We were called into the gym early this morning to discuss news with Monokuma. I was trying to push the incident from a few days ago out of my mind. I couldn’t allow myself to think of such an event—what if—by unlucky draw, someone found out about Hajime and Nagito? And, by unluckier chances, they decided to out of sheer hatred to kill Hajime? Were those who knew before everyone else next—or would it be Nagito?

My eyes reverted to Nagito who was separate from everyone else. Nagitos’ arms were crossed against his chest, his back leaning into the wall behind him. His eyes appeared to be scanning the crowd too. Was there sadness in his eyes—or was it some sort of anger that someone may have propelled his boyfriend into a coma? I couldn’t tell. Hopefully I wasn’t the number one suspect.

I began to look around and gauge other reactions too. TeruTeru was using flirtation to distract himself. I watched him attempt to grapple at Mikans’ body, to which Ibuki displayed strength and courage to pluck him from the ground.  Next to them had been Nekomaru and Akane, standing close to one another. I bet they were against attacking Monokuma due to it being against the rules now. I wish they could beat the bear to bits—or whatever that thing was made of. They were our only hope in terms of muscling us out of here, and even that was beginning to fade.  Mahiru and Hiyoko were, per usual, appearing to gossip about some topic or other. What could be as scandalous as Hajime not being present!?! It makes me nervous. He’s usually my crutch in scary situations like this.  Byakuya and Chiaki were discussing things in a low tone, too, likely discussing potential escape routes. I felt so left out—I couldn’t really smash myself in between conversations and the meeting appeared to be at full blast already. I awkwardly folded my hands in front of me, unsure of who to speak to and for how long.  I didn’t want that bear intruding into my conversations. And, well, even though I don’t really have the heart in me to talk right now, that doesn’t give the bear the right to my thoughts. Peko and Fuyuhiko appeared to share my silent sentiment from across the gym, arms crossed and giving cold stares up to the podium where Monokuma would likely appear.

And then, there was my rival and my princess. Two groups of students away from me, chatting like there was no missing persons or potential murderer on the loose! Oh, go ahead, giggle like that Sonia. That’s ok. Gundham appeared to have that same solemn stupid look on his face as Sonia speaks with him. It’s sickening and annoying. I could feel both my hands ball up to fists. I had half the mind to remind them both to recall what’s at stake here. A friend was missing—and potentially dead. There was no time to chatter like that—oh, and HE made Sonia smile LIKE THAT? Ok, that tears it!

As I began to push my way through the TeruTeru debacle, odd music began to play. Oh great, I’m too late, Monokuma is about to make an entrance probably. The music began to slowly speed up until Monokuma planted himself on top of the podium placed on the gyms’ stage.

“Gooood morning students! I called you all here today to share some pretty unsettling news,” Monokuma said, pulling out a cloth bag from behind him. I was scared, but not overly fearful. I mean, just because we hadn’t seen Hajime for going on four days doesn’t mean we have a homophobic bear on our hands!?! I mean, if he did have a major issue with Boy Love—which I do not—why not just off them right when we caught them?  The explosion of chatter from before effaced as attentions turned toward Monokuma.

“As you can see, Hajime isn’t here right now. Four days ago, a very naughty student forced him into a coma. Although no rules were broken during the event, I must advise you to tread carefully around your classmates,” Monokuma explained, causing the room to erupt in chatter once more.  Everyone exchanged cautious glances. I did the same, trying to mirror others. Who could have hurt Hajime? Why would they force him into a coma?

“You better not be fucking us, stupid bear! If you were the one to hurt Hajime, fess up,” Fuyuhiko spoke up, pushing himself to the front of the crowd. Peko followed behind him, pressing a hand into his shoulder as he was about to climb onto Monokumas’ podium.

“Oh, I would never hurt one of my own students! In fact, I believe the person to drive Hajime into the coma was far closer to him than I ever will be,” Monokuma replied, laughing into his hands. Wait—was Monokuma implying…? I let my eyes wander off to a few other people before stopping on Nagito. Nagito held his head down, his eyes hidden by large wisps of white hair. Was the bear messing with us or giving us an honest clue?

“So, the preparator was one of us…?” asked Mahiru, a shocked look on her face. I watched as Hiyoko hid a cackle underneath her kimono sleeve. What had Hiyoko laughing so much these days?  Everyone else began to chatter, discussing who could have been the attempted killer. The conversation was beginning to devolve into who would be next in the killers rampage.

“Now now students, I make sure to keep you as safe as possible. Hajime is currently resting in the Nurses Office until he comes to,” Monokuma added, shaking his paws in front of his face.

“How can we trust you to protect him when he comes to? What if the person who put him in the coma tries to do something worse,” Byakuya asked, his eyes narrowing onto Monokuma with a lone finger pointed at him.

“I say we vote for someone to watch over Nagito, maybe take shifts?” suggested Chiaki, tilting her head to the left. Her eyes looked a bit vacant, not quite here or wherever she wanted to be.  Others nodded, but then a hand shot up from the other side of the room.

“I want to take the bulk of the shifts with Kazuichi! I’m sure he wouldn’t mind,” Nagito said, his tone neutral. Eyes then turned to me as I was volunteered to do work. I did promise to keep their secret—but now I was being wrapped into coma-sitting duty? What about me pursuing Sonia, finding a way out, and other high schooler things? I looked over at Sonia, who gave me…a beautiful, beautiful smile. Sonia was right; I needed to do whatever I must to keep their secret safe!

“Of course! I’m always a night owl anyway,” I agreed. This was it; my new objective. Figure out who was the spiteful bastard to injure Hajime! I’ll impress Sonia for sure! I watched as others nodded happily, giving a celebratory clap or two.

“That settles it, at least for now. I’ll be willing to keep an eye on Nagito when you guys get tired, we need Hajime to wake up before we’re able to properly accuse anyone for the crime,” Nekomaru stated, “Anyone else willing to volunteer?”

“I-I guess if no one else wants to,” Mahiru spoke, looking a bit shy.

“I’ll join you, Mahiru!” announced Hiyoko with a bright smile. The rest of the room reduced itself to quiet chattering and off topic information. This went on for a few minutes. I could feel myself began to calm down. Phew—well, I should’ve expected Nagito to be the first to volunteer. It is his boyfriend in a coma after all. I think I remember my folks huddling around a TV with a drama that went like this. If only I wasn’t so busy working on fixing stuff I could know the solution to this mystery!

“Well, sounds like you guys got that squared away! Once Hajime comes to, I’ll have to make another announcement. But, for now, I’d like to give prizes to two of the top explores thus far. These two have entered and examined every room to the last speck of dirt!” Monokuma stated, pulling two gold coins from the cloth bag. I watched as the two coins were flipped into the air, levitating for a moment.

“What are these going to be used for?” asked Akane. She looked at them, as it appeared everyone else had been doing too.  The gold coins began to quickly fly, one heading directly toward me. I instinctively pushed my hands forward, one catching the coin within its palm.

“Fuyuhiko and Kazuichi are the winners today! Be sure to spend that wisely at the Monokuma store! Who knows what you’ll get,” Monokuma announced, disappearing into nothingness once more. So, as always, no answers. And now I have this random gold coin in hand.  I looked over at Fuyuhiko who gives me a thumb up.

“Wanna head over together?” Fuyuhiko asked. Did I really have a choice?

* * *

 

Fuyuhiko, Peko, Akane, Mahiru, Hiyoko, Gundham, Sonia and I were outside the room with the dollar sign on the maps.

“Guess this is it,” Akane said, poking at the symbol on her e-handbook. Large white letters appeared as she poked the symbol: Monokuma Store. Who has a store in a school environment with their name in it? Sounds fishy; maybe Monokuma was crazy rich and got the actual headmaster to resign? Or some money laundering scheme or—“Kazuichi? Come on, let’s go in there, no reason in waiting out here longer,” Fuyuhiko stated, stretching one of his hands and waving it in my face. I took a couple of steps back and nodded.

“Y-yeah, of course! Is anyone else going in with us?” I asked, looking around. It would really help my confidence if Sonia went in—everyone else could wait out here if nothing else.

“Uh, no, I don’t want to die if this is one of those weird torture chambers,” Hiyoko stated, cackling a bit into her kimono sleeve. What a little asshole. But, it’s to be expected from a spoiled girl like her. But seriously, was everyone always funny to her these days?

“I’ll stick outside with Hiyoko,” Mahiru said.

“I will guard the door in case any dangerous begins come lurking, “Gundham said. Of course, you don’t want to go in—coward!  

“I would rather stay outside. I support both of you and hope something wonderful happens,” Sonia said, her voice—ahh, it feels wonderful to hear her address me! I ran up to her, smiling, offering my hand.

“Thank you so much Sonia! Can I have a good luck handsha—” I started, but Fuyuhiko was already pulling me by my shirt.

“We don’t have time for this,” Fuyuhiko stated underneath his breath. As Fuyuhiko began to enter the room with me dragging along with him, I saw Peko crack a smile. I’m pathetic, aren’t I? As we crossed the threshold to the room, the door seemed to automatically shut. Fuyuhiko let me loose with the door closing, my body now free.

Once we began to inspect the Monokuma store, everything felt…very expensive. Most items had a base price of 3 coins where together Fuyuhiko and I only had 2. The contents of the room contained a variety of items: iron suits, teacups, pictures, and other knickknacks.

“What the…” Fuyuhiko trailed off, taking his time in observing every item within the store. I was more concerned on getting out as soon as possible by spending this damned coin. I brought to my face, giving it another once over. Monokumas’ face had been engraved thoroughly, the gold coin feeling a bit heavier than a quarter.

“For a second, I was thinking we may find something we’d be able to use in here,” mused Fuyuhiko, eying me from the corner of my vision. My eyes met Fuyuhikos’ as I laughed awkwardly. Was Fuyuhiko expecting me to look at these weird items with him? I don’t really like the atmosphere here to begin with—let’s just get out as soon we can! My eyes immediately attached themselves to some sort of gumball machine. Placed to the right of the wooden cabinet it rested against, it looked appealing enough. There was no price on the thing either; which meant I would be able slip the coin in and get something—and immediately leave.

“H-Hey, this thing looks like a thing we can spend our coins in!” I said, gesturing toward the small machine. Fuyuhiko approached it, eying each detail of it. Red and yellow lights stuck themselves onto the semi-transparent cover. Small plastic half spheres were stuffed into the plastic cylinder.  A coin slot was placed where Monokumas face was detailed into the machine.  Hovering over in a rush to leave, I placed my coin into the coin slot in hopes for it to dispense something of worth. Maybe it could be a ticket to take someone I want out on a date—or better—a waiver for all that hard labor we’d need to do soon!   

After a few moments, a virtual screen popped up in front of Fuyuhiko and I.

“I think it’s trying to confirm if we’re done putting coins in or not,” Fuyuhiko observed. I nodded to him in agreement, not sure what else it could mean. This machine must’ve had a lot of work put into it to have such a stratified object response system like that. 

“Did you want to put yours in too? I’m sure if we up the total by two, the machine should be ok with that,” I asked. I didn’t want to lose this chance to potentially get a better prize—maybe even some sort of trip ticket to go on a date one-on-one date with someone—Sonia—oh, the possibilities were endless! I had stars in my eyes while I noticed Fuyuhiko beginning to crank the lever on the right-hand side.

“Come on, give us a clue on how to get out of here,” Fuyuhiko spoke to the machine. Several beeps and metal scraping sounds were made before two plastics containers were ejected. On the black painted side of the machine our prizes awaited us. I grabbed one while Fuyuhiko grabbed the other, lifting the black lids sealing the plastic half spheres.  


Inside the plastic was a single piece of paper. I looked at it. Reviewed the text again to make sure I was reading it right. Squinted my eyes to ensure I was reading the clearest writing possible. Scratched the back of my neck to loosen up the muscles. 

“D-Do you have a ticket for a ‘romantic night in the schools dining room’ dated for tonight? It’s really shitty handwriting and I feel really stupid,” Fuyuhiko spoke at louder levels. No—wait yes—get angry Fuyuhiko. Let the anger consume you…give me your ticket. 

I watched as Fuyuhiko began to fume at the tickets contents, his hands shaking. Fuyuhiko continued an extensive list of profanity for several minutes. Someone elses trash is another person’s treasure, I think that’s the saying, right? I smiled at Fuyuhiko, nodding at each gesture or general angry word came through his mouth.

After about ten minutes of Fuyuhiko venting, he looked up at me, “Well, now that we’ve wasted enough time here, what do you want to do with these tickets?” I had an idea.

“Well, I had this idea for mine, and well, if you don’t think you’re gonna use yours, I was planning on inviting Sonia,” I explained. I cracked a half smile, hoping that would be enough to convince him to give up his ticket. Fuyuhiko blinked a bit before smiling, placing his ticket in my palm. Bingo—score—played it straight and I get the prize! Stars returned to my eyes as I began to think of how to make tonight the perfect evening. Should I pick flowers from the garden, make some sort corsage—this was the best thing to ever happen!

“Well, if going out on a date with some chick will help you feel about Hajime, go for it,” Fuyuhiko stated as he headed toward the exit, “I’m heading out to do some more research on this damned school. Maybe the library will have some useful information.” Ouch—talk about harsh. I shrugged off Fuyuhikos’ words—there wasn’t a thing we could do to help Hajime besides protect him now. Everything had to be perfect tonight—maybe Mahiru would take my shift with Nagito for tonight—then I would be able to convince Sonia to watch him with me! Our lives down here wouldn’t be ideal but much more bearable if we were together.

As my head was caught up in various thoughts, Fuyuhiko had already exited the room. I ran out and saw Mahiru and Hiyoko appeared to have dispersed elsewhere for now—and the main person of conversation—Sonia was still here!  

“Well, how was it?” Peko asked.

“Freaking terrible! We didn’t get any useful information about the school or what’s going on,” Fuyuhiko replied, brandishing the empty half sphere of plastic to the group. My eyes immediately saw Sonia, her hands laid on top of each other in a princess-ly matter, standing around—this is it! I could feel my heart began to pound out of my chest as I began to approach her. What would I say exactly—I can’t just be outright and say that I want a date. Maybe play it off a bit—pin it as something to do to discuss my findings with her personally?

As I was in front of Sonia, about to say a lovely vignette about why dinner with us two would be nice, that damned Gundham slid in from thin air! The nerve of that guy.

“Sonia, I request that we meet in my room to discuss…matters from the other day,” Gundham said, blunt, unaware even. My eyes narrowed at him, then jetted over to Sonia to gauge her reaction. Her face was flush. Her eyes avoided Gundham. Did they—were they—no way!

“S-Sonia, I want you to come with me to dinner tonight! It’s kin—” I started, but Gundham faced me with such a condescending glare. How was I supposed to speak to Sonia with a stone wall like that around? I looked over to Sonia again, who had…oh no. My world was beginning to crumble. Her lips, covered by one hand, had been inches close to Gundhams ear. It was a disgusting sight to see fellow man tread in territory that I wanted to claim! I watched, with hyper fixation of the situation, as Gundhams eyes widened then eased into normalcy as the seconds passed. Was she telling him off politely, readying herself to accept my offer, and walking off with me into the dim hallway across to the dorm rooms, where we would— “I apologize but…I must reject your offer. Gundham and I have pressing matters to discuss—and other things—occult things—that you wouldn’t understand”…those words. Those words Sonia said couldn’t have been real, yeah? The occult thing was just a fad, some temporary hobby she harbors due to the uneventful time here, right?

Gundham and Sonia weren’t walking hand-in-hand away from me, toward the Dorm room area. I couldn’t hear Fuyuhiko laugh and whisper some snide remark to Peko. I wasn’t dumped. I was NOT DUMPED.

No. No.

No.

No.

…No.

I could feel a deep darkness begin to cloak my heart with disgusting memories. Awful memories of building…Monokuma? Did I build Monokuma? I hated these memories, I hate this feeling of despair—I hate everything!

I hate that word: despair. That bear is constantly throwing that word at us at any chance he gets. That’s why I’ve been committed on finding a way out! Each floor I search seems to only get stranger and the others could attest to it.  I couldn’t have built that monster. No—I refuse it. 

Before I knew it was I curled up in a ball, clutching onto the two paper tickets for the “romantic” dinner. No; romance was dead and someone else would be soon. That someone, of course, would be me. If I couldn’t have Sonia—if my best friend was going to be in a coma for the rest of his life—if I had to keep dragging along secrets due to someone else, suicide was the best way out yeah? I was hiding behind the pillar on the first floor, hoping that Fuyuhiko and Peko would excuse themselves from my pathetic disposition. No one should have to see the kid that gets used over and over act this way. I should have expected this. Who would love a kid like me?

“Hey…you ok there?” asked a female voice. My head popped out from my knees, tears streaming down my face.

“Of course. J-Just at a loss for what I’ll do tonight,” I answered, barely able to keep my blubbering mess contained to my knees.  I looked through my tears to see a familiar outline of Akane.

“What, got flaked out on or something?” Akane asked, squatting next to me. I shook my head, wiping my face with my sleeve.

“Well, not really. I have two tickets to this dinner but I have no one to go with me,” I spoke through my tears, trying to pick myself up. What would Hajime do if he saw me this weak right now? I bet he would pity me. Maybe even try and pick on me. No—Hajime wasn’t like that. He’d try to cheer me up or tell an awkward joke. I don’t really know what I’m doing anymore.

“D-Dinner? I can definitely go with you, we can eat all the food we want, and well, if you want, talk about your feelings,” Akane rambled, pulling me up by my shirt to get close to her face. I blushed immediately, looking up at her drooling face. Ah—Akane and food—I should’ve known. I laughed a bit, smiling up at her. Maybe this could be a good thing after all. Plus, it’d get Nagito off my back about helping him watch his boyfriend for a while.

“Sure, it’s at…” I said, taking a peak at the tickets, “6:15pm today. Huh, weird time.”

“Don’t matter, free foooood!” Akane retorted in a caveman-like matter, slinging me over her shoulder as she bolted toward the stairs. I clung hopelessly to her mid-section, afraid to grab anything above her waist. In her mad dash to the 2nd floor gym, I had a glance of Mahiru and Hiyoko taking the first shift of watching Hajime. In the snapshot I got of them, both were eagerly waiting over one of the hospital beds. Oh, I should’ve visited him, I really hope he recovers. Then I would have someone I could rant to about the current situation.

“You’re coming with me to work out in exchange for the food,” Akane said. How was this a fair trade?!?  Oh well, at least I could get some insight from Akane on how to win over Sonias’ heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this completes another request, Fuyuhiko and Kazuichi in the monokuma room! 
> 
> If you want to request a particular ship or character pairing, click here: https://www.quotev.com/quiz/9786780/Monokumas-totally-canon-request-for-shipping-orders
> 
> If you want to vote for what my next story will be, click here: https://www.quotev.com/quiz/9970489/New-Story 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	15. The Jolly Knife IV{School Life} - Chapter Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy the chapter! Couple of announcements:
> 
> Monokuma Matinees are going to be switched over to an interactive section where you will need to interrogate students to figure out who the culprit is(in this case, for who knocked Hajime into the coma). I'll be posting more about the first interrogation session a bit later today. 
> 
> I am going on a vacation in the middle of the month (September 16th-18th). This means that the story will not be updated that weekend. What am I doing? Going to see the Gorillaz play live! :') I'll be back up and updating the following weekend. 
> 
> Let me know what your thoughts are on the interactive portion of the chapter once we get there.

It was around the ungodly hour of seven am when Monokuma flickered into the TV sets around the school. His voice, a familiar annoyance by now, spoke different words other than letting us know it was daybreak.   

“Goood morning students! Please report to the gym immediately! Don’t delay,” Monokuma said. Why should we rush—though one thing did come to me as an urgent issue. No one had seen Hajime since the 2nd day. We were invited by Nagito himself to peer into their room the 3rd day of our residence here, and low and behold, no Hajime. It was as if he disappeared from existence. No one had an inkling of where Hajime could have gone.

“Ok, so you’re sleeping in the same room, but you have no clue whatsoever where he is? How useless,” Mahiru stated, talking down Nagito. Though, as much as I wanted to say much crueler words to our friend, Nagito already appeared distraught by such a happening. His eyes were large welts of pink against his usual pallor skin.  His sobs felt over-the-top but oddly convincing. His story, or rather his account, went something like this:

“Hajime and I weren’t feeling too well during our first day here. We spent the entire day resting and exploring our room. The next day, I told Hajime I’d go ahead to try and meet the others. Since I wasn’t sure where we were meeting, I tried knocking on Nekomarus’ door.”

“After getting no response, I decided to knock on Sonias’ door next. After discussing the findings, the group made and becoming aware of the meeting place, I tried to check on Hajime. This was around 1:30PM. By that time, the room was empty. I thought he left to do some searching on his own, so I did my own thing for a while. It wasn’t until I noticed he wasn’t coming back to the room the 3rd day that something was wrong.”

“Why did it take Monokuma so long to tell us?” I asked, though I figured it would take a meeting for me to get that answer. I was a bit fearful; what if Sonia was already making moves to spread despair within the group?

As I prepared to leave that morning, I made the strategic decision to leave The Dark Devas within my room. If Sonia was going to lure me somewhere to have an attempt at my life, I would not allow the Devas to sacrifice themselves.

As I placed them in their cage for the day, their eyes were filled with sadness. Mine were, too, but this had to be done. If I were to corner Sonia, this was the only way to ensure their safety. I placed my hand in between the small spaces between the metal compartments, allowing my Dark Devas to pick up on my scent.

“Well. If I do not see you again, please…keep everyone safe,” I announced to them as they took deep inhales around my hand. I had to pull myself away at this point. This was hurting too much.

As I was preparing for my day, their usual quiet demeanor become extremely squeaky. No matter how many words or treats I offered, it was as if they only got louder. As if they knew the stakes of getting answers today.

I took a final look back at the large cage which I kept my creatures.  I nodded to them solemnly, brandishing a slender weapon plundered from the kitchen. Hopefully, it would not need to be used tonight. I stuffed it in my pants and hid its existence with my shirt and scarf.

There was a summary offered by Monokuma of the discovery of Hajime once everyone gathered at the gym. I had been too focused on my goals for today to really bother interacting with anything else. Monokuma stated that Hajime had been found in the Sauna, crammed into one of the stalls within the room. Chatter immediately erupted from the discovery which Monokuma shushed us all soon after. Monokuma mentioned something about having a council to give us a chance to find the culprit.  Monokuma stated it would be held once Hajime came to and during the day time. Is that how much time I had left to figure out if Sonia had been the culprit—no. Sonia was the culprit at this point. She was my only lead and I could not picture any other students completing such a dastardly deed.

* * *

 

“Sonia, I request that we meet in my room to discuss…matters from the other day,” I said, noticing Kazuichi starting to approach us.

Ok, I admit it, it was poor thinking on my behalf on putting myself in a dangerous situation. But I could not bear the thought of my fellow friend Kazuichi being murdered by Sonia. I could hear her previous remarks echo in my head just at the sight of Kazuichi.

_“Would it generate constant despair for someone if I dangled their love in front of me only to snap it in two? Or would the despair from that broken-hearted persons death shatter the friendly atmosphere of this school life?”_

“S-Sonia, I want you to come with me to dinner tonight! It’s kin—” Kazuichi began to say, but I gave him the sternest glare I knew. Kazuichi shouldn’t finish that sentence. I could feel anger radiate from Kazuichis’ twitching smile. I’m sorry, friend, but Sonia is not who she appears to be right now.  It was then that I felt delicate lips beginning to caress my earlobe, a tongue gently tugging it upward. My eyes widened at this, not aware Sonias’ despair growing to the point of showing even with others present. I had to heal her as soon as I could!

“Oh, you silly guy you. I knew you’d come around eventually. Let’s head back to my room, discuss things,” Sonia whispered to me, her hands covering my ear. Her despair was overwhelming. Despite not having proof, I had a sneaking suspicion that Sonia was the one to hurt Hajime. And, if that were the case, I had to avoid her being left alone with him at all cost! I could feel Sonias’ hands retreat, her face now looking straight at Kazuichi.

“I apologize but…I must reject your offer. Gundham and I have pressing matters to discuss—and other things—occult things—that you wouldn’t understand,” Sonia said much to her princess talent. What exactly was despair doing to her? I quickly grasped her hand and ushered her back to the dormitory area. I couldn’t risk Sonia rubbing salt into an already complicated wound such as Kazuichi. Sonia grabbed my shoulder in response, walking at a quick pace too.

* * *

 

It wasn’t long until I stood in front of Sonias’ doorway. This part of the school felt silent. I was scared. What if Sonia would try my life again or her own? Why couldn’t there been a person or three, wanting to hang out or—no, no more being a coward Gundham! You must face this situation as a man.

“Ready?” Sonia said, turning to me with a wicked grin on her face. Black and white swirls effaced her eyeballs.

“Sure,” I answered the best I could. I couldn’t let Sonias’ attempts at seducing me or killing me succeed! I won’t fall into despair! Sonia scanned her e-handbook against metal plating near her doorknob. Sci-fi sounds blared until the door popped itself open. Sonia led my way into her room.

It was plain, much like mine. It wasn’t as if we had that much time to decorate yet. Sonias’ room had much of the basic furnishings mine had but I still needed to keep my guard up. What if Sonia hid a weapon away somewhere or had some sort of poisoned food ready?

“Ah, Gundham, it makes me happy that you are going to join me in the despair plots! Who should we exterminate first? I think Hajime will make for an easy target,” Sonia spoke, her eyes slowly reverting to normal. 

“I refuse to hurt Hajime more than you already have! And, no, I refuse to join you in this detestable game of killing our friends,” I shouted to her. I’m sure if my voice carried enough weight, through the school walls, someone would try to save me if things turn sour. We had known each other for several years as Monokuma said. It had to be impossible for the other thirteen students to never come back to the dormitory quarters the rest of the day.

“Oh, me hurt Hajime? That wasn’t me at all. To be honest, I’m not sure who did it. I just see him as an easy target for despair. I was hoping it was you,” Sonia said, sitting down onto her bed. She proceeded to tap the space next to her several times. I shook my head at her. I moved to stand in front of her but Sonia pulled me down with such strength I propelled downwards onto the bed. I laid down, giving in partially. I felt Sonias’ hands attempting to pin down my outstretched body but I used my right arm to block her access. I was laying, back against her sheets, as her body was crawling toward me.

“I wouldn’t dare! I’m not as callous as you, someone who—who hurts animals! Takes the time to think of the worst way of hurting someone. That isn’t me!” I retorted. I needed to face Sonia as she is. I wanted to believe in the hope that was still in Sonias’ soul, in the quiet musings of her in a multitude of people. But, if Sonia would be plotting murder between meetings, what was the point of trusting her anymore?

“Callous? Animal killer? Oh, you mean me getting rid of that rat. It’s sim—” Sonia began to say, but the word she used to describe JUM-P…rat…wasn’t giving him justice. I was grabbling with anger. Distaste. Maybe one could even coin it as hatred.

“You were the one I trusted the most! Don’t curb your enthusiasm to my wonderful creatures just because you’re overwhelmed by this despair! Snap out of it!” I screamed at Sonia, praying someone would hear my screams. Someone out there, anyone, should be able to hear my pleas. They would be able to join me in fixing Sonia to what she used to be—what she can be. Sonia and I struggled against each other. Sonia kept trying to lay on top of me (likely in efforts to seduce me) and I was trying to get off the bed. For a girl of her stature, she was as strong as she showed herself to be on the island. Sonia was typically the one who had the most experience in collecting materials, and thus, often carried pounds upon pounds of crafting widgets. It appears that her consistent training paired with her usual strength can match my own. Sonia bested me in the scuffled attempt of me getting off the bed. I could feel my slender weapon calling to me, begging me to end Sonias’ suffering. But I had to resist the feeling—the desire of wanting to kill. I think it’s the despair calling to me.  

I placed my hands on either side of Sonias’ shoulders and began to shake her. Perhaps my anger was getting to the best of me—but perhaps a bit of physical interaction would be enough to shake her from the depths of despair? 

As I shook her, I watched Sonias’ previous vacant stare change drastically. Sonias’ lips began to pucker in slightly, seeming to withhold chuckles from behind her mouth. It started softly as if I had been tickling her but grew into a boisterous tone. The sound made me cease shaking Sonia and realize the situation. My anger began to slowly decline.  Sonias’ attention reverted from my face to my mid-section, her hands gripping onto my waist.

“Oh, what’s the matter? Where’s that anger at? Oh. Look at that,” Sonia said. My vision dared to look down at myself. Blood began to splash against Sonias’ face before she looked back up at me. A chef knife was lodged deep into my side. The wound had been bleeding profusely. Sonia had made a large cut into my mid-section, somewhere within the excruciating pain I was feeling. I couldn’t give up or lose hope. I began to scream loudly. Someone had to hear me.

“Hmm? You’re noisy. Don’t you know these walls are sound proof? Even if Nagito was pitching a tent in the room next to us, he would know nothing. I like noisy though. Your screams sound pleasant, relaxing. Ahh, despair is wonderful, isn’t it,” Sonia asked me. I was too busy screaming to respond, rejecting what Sonia was telling me. It must have been a ploy to get me to stop screaming. I wouldn’t stop. I wouldn’t stop until the last bit of life was drained from me. Someone had to help me.

“Now, if you agree to help me spread despair, I can have you all patched up. Otherwise, well, you’ll be the first victim.  It’s a shame either way, I was hoping to build with you,” Sonia whispered close to my ear.

I shook my head vigorously, placing both my hands on my wound in hopes to contain the bloody mess. This wasn’t the end. I couldn’t let her believe this was the end. The knife wobbled around in my wound, more blood easing out onto my hands.

“First victim—no. I refuse that. I won’t…give into it. This despair…but, there’s something you should know,” I began to trail off, the pain from my wound beginning to tire me out. My vision began to blur as Sonia came in and out of view. Blood from Sonias’ face began to drip onto random spots on my face. This was disgusting. This must have been what despair felt like on the receiving end.

“I do sincerely care for you Sonia. I want to…help you…” I said. I was struggling with words at this point. I wanted to help her feel better. I needed to give Sonia the chance that all of us were given. We were terrible people in the past; but we could change.

Sonia dissipated from my view as my vision turned black. The last thought on my mind was if my sacrifice had been worth the small bit of peace my death would allow.

* * *

 

When I began to stir awake, I saw Mikan in front of me. My eyes struggled to focus on her twisted face. A blush spread across her cheeks when she noticed that I was now awake.

“Welcome to Despair,” Mikan greeted, devoid of her usual fearful and morose tone.

How deep did this rabbit hole go?


	16. The Jolly Knife {Interrogation}  I UPDATED! {School Life} Next person chosen! - Chapter 12.5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Good job all two voters! Glad to see you chose the right choices. Read through this again to learn more about the incident. Voting has now opened for the next interrogation. It will close 7PM my time tomorrow! For reference, I live in Central Daylight Time(-6). Voting is now opened for the next student to be interrogated!
> 
> Ok, so this is how it'll work. Follow the instructions given to you by the story contents. And, once you finished reading the current transcript for the interrogation, vote for 3 truth bullets you want to grill our interrogatee(Nagito) further on in the comments. I'll count the votes up and update this chapter to show the full transcript(with the three most popular truth bullet votes) next week Saturday. I will be counting votes on A03, Quotev, and the Danganronpa Amino app. 
> 
> You will also get one vote for who to interrogate next after this. Keep in mind who Nagito brings up in his account. Voting for the next person to interrogate will close next Sunday(for those who may want to wait until the full interrogation transcript pops up for Nagito).

Y/N = Your Name

L/N = Last Name

F/N = First Name

You have been hired as a private investigator. No other detective dared to take the job position, but with the state of the world as it is now, there’s no other option but to take on the job. Although you are not part of the main branch, your family is affiliated with a highly popularized family detective business. Something in your heart tells you that the job posting you were directed to a few days ago will help solve the chaotic state the world is in now. You were greeted by silence when you investigated the meeting place of your recruiter. Not long after, you were taken down by an unknown assailant.  When you wake up, you are in a white room devoid of color. Every piece of the room appears to be a slightly different hue of white.

Over the past several years, the only information you have been given is through camera feeds from high schoolers repeating the same 50-day project. You view the cameras via a laptop provided to you by your recruiter (you can only assume at this point). Although it is monotonous, you get the sneaking suspicion that these kids are going to be the new targets for the killing game. After seven years of waiting, your speculations appear to come true. The students are transported to what appears to be Hopes Peak by the same bear to instigate the first killing game. You take many notes, watching cameras as much as humanly possible. There are no repeat/rewind options to the camera viewing; only the ability to switch between angle views. You can record certain pieces of sound you get from the camera feed with an archaic tape recorder.

One day, when you decided it was safe to rest your eyes, it appears that a student was injured.  Whoever is keeping you in this white room slips a note underneath your door when you come to. The note reads, “This is only the tutorial; the true test comes soon.” Underneath the text outlines the interrogation procedures you will need to utilize to find the culprit that caused the injury.  The number one suspect has already been pushed aside for you to interrogate, but it will take you sometime to grab all the students you choose to question.  The guidelines are as follows:

  * You may interrogate a total of three students for sustained injuries (i.e attacks that do not result in death)
  * You may interrogate a total of five students for murders
  * You are only able to interrogate students at the dead of night (from Midnight to 4AM in game time, NOT real-life time)
  * None of the students will be able to remember that you have interrogated them
  * The evidence you pull from the students will be available for Hajime to use during class councils
  * You can only ask 3 of the 4 available truth bullets during an interrogation session
  * You can interrogate the same student twice to receive all the truth bullets, but may not be worth it
  * You can only request to interrogate one student in the room at a time
  * ((OOC: You are aware of all the happenings in the story EXCEPT Chapter Nine and Hajimes’ dreams. Also, in case people are confused, the times listed in the rules is the time it is for the STORY, not in real life.))



After you finish reading the outlined rules, you prepare for your first interrogation. You repeat the mantra of your familys’ number one goal in solving crime cases: to find the singular truth. You are certain that, once you solidify the suspects alibis and the people they interacted with, the truth will come naturally.  You dress in the prepared outfit and set out to interrogate the number one suspect.

(Outfits, and sorry, couldn’t find any gender-neutral ones: <https://68.media.tumblr.com/047a01d8541897c50d0771bf39260e5e/tumblr_n4gmz7CJc51tvx7lto1_500.png>)

Account: Nagito Komaeda

Timeline: Day 1 to Day 4

Given Alibis: 2

People who have interacted with this character: 2

Pre-Interrogation[FAQ]

As you enter the interrogation room, you meet your first suspect: Nagito Komaeda. He greets you happily, as if he is unaware of the situation. You greet him back, introducing yourself. Nagito appears to look around the room a bit before giving you a cold-hearted look.

“Do you know how high the stakes right now?”

“The stakes of what—look, I’m supposed to be interrogating you Mr.Komaeda. It would make things easier without the attitude!”

“It’s not that I don’t trust your abilities at all. I just doubt you know the full concept of why you’re here.”

“Don’t give me more backtalk! I know what I’m doing. I’m going to be helping one of your classmates determine who hurts or murders another.”

“Hajime I bet? Or should I use his other name, Izuru? I get that you are kind of our aid here, but that isn’t why I’m ok with it in the first place.”

“You don’t need to—wait—how did you know?”

“Let’s save that question for another interrogation. Anyway, let me explain to how your things will work. Sure, you have the power to interrogate. Asks questions outside the school environment.  But, once Hajime receives your notes, there are some things he may refuse as fact. You’ll need to keep things in mind when getting information: you need to persuade Hajime to believe your notes and then the entire class. Fail one and the other goes right out the window.”

“I’m sure it’ll be easy. I just need to lay down the facts and he’ll understand it perfectly.”

“There’s a particular order to the art of persuasion that’s easiest for most to stomach. Ethos, Logos, and Pathos.  The words derive from Aristoteles “ingredients for persuasion”. Everyone likes to make appeals or claims—each segment of PEL(Pathos Ethos Logos) codifies the appeal into a specific category. Pathos stands for an appeal to emotion, a way of convincing an audience by generating an emotional response. Logos is an appeal to logic, persuading an audience by reason. Ethos is an appeal to ethics, a means to convince someone of valor or credibility by the persuader. Most cases, in injury and murder, you want to have a mixture of these types in hand. Some cases may require more appeals of one type than others. You should understand this, right?”

“If you students are falling victim to despair, killing each other, it doesn’t help me save you. I’ll keep losing you until the despair takes over. I thought my goal here was to prevent the deaths from happening.”

“*Scoffs* The person running this thing probably already is aware we’re going to kill each other, but doesn’t want to make it outright. But that’s beside the point. All that I want to make sure of is that our help is aware of the mechanics of this thing. You’ll want to appeal to more than just the logical solution; we’re young but not as sharp as a detective. We feel more than we think usually.”

“Fine, Fine. You sure love talking a lot, don’t you?”

“…Sure. Let’s get on with it.”

Transcript of interrogation:

“So, where were you during the time Hajime went missing?”

“I dunno, with Sonia maybe? The first day we got here, Hajime and I ended up resting the first day. On the 2nd day, I went ahead of Hajime to explore. Since I wanted to get a recap of what the group did earlier, I knocked on Nekomarus’ room first since he was the closest. I knocked a few times but Nekomaru never came to the door. I decided to try Sonias’ door then. She let me in and we discussed what we found. That took about an hour. Then I decided to check up on Hajime and he was already gone.”

“Instead of worrying, I decided that he may have went to search the school on his own. It wasn’t until the middle of the 3rd day that I got worried since everyone I talked to said they hadn’t seen him. It was the middle of the 3rd day when Monokuma found Hajime in the Sauna crammed into one of the stalls. Of course, he didn’t officially announce Hajime as missing or found until he could confirm Hajime was still alive. And, well, I’m just as shocked as everyone else right now.”

“And the reason why you didn’t reach out earlier is because…?”

“Because I didn’t want to intrude on his life. I know living with a roommate can be a bother sometimes. I didn’t want to pressure him back into the room if he felt overwhelmed. Besides, I’m sure Hajime could get buddy buddy with some of the girls around here!”

“So how long do you think Hajime was stuffed into the Sauna stall for?” 

“Who knows? Anything else you’d like to know?”

“How was Hajimes mood the day he went missing?”

“Hajime, he was doing well last I recall.”

“I’ve been watching your security cameras, cut the crap.”

“If you were watching the cameras, I wouldn’t be the main suspect. I was obviously out of the room the moment Hajime was attacked.”

“And you are positive of that because…?"

“Because I wasn’t the one to hurt him! I had no motive to. We were roommates.”

“You walked out on him in silence this morning. I’ve watched enough to see you and Hajime cuddle in your sleep. And you comb Hajimes hair. And you pull him closer in your sleep during your nightmares.”

“…So? I-I mean, we weren’t on the best of terms but that doesn’t mean I had a vendetta out for Hajime. It must have been close to △12:30△ or so when I left and started doing the things I outlined before!”

“You said 12:30pm? And you are positive?”

“Yes! 12:30PM! And then I knocked on Nekomarus door, waited, got no response…I walked over to Sonias’ door, talked for about an hour, and I checked on Hajime at 1:30pm roughly.”

“△12:30△ is quite a particular time to choose. Especially since…*tap, crack. Slight pause*…”

(Recorded voice of Nagito) “Well, it’s almost noon, we’re really hungry, and I highly doubt the worst-case scenario would ensure. Besides, if Hajime can only be my boyfriend in this room, I’d like to maximize that as much as possible!”

“…*blush*…Touché. I am guilty of saying that line. Guess you pointed out about half an hour of free time for me to, well, be the assailant. But I clearly left the room if you are watching our security cameras. You said it yourself: I was silent and exited the room. ”

“Well, why were you quiet?”

“I was quiet because I didn’t want to tell Hajime anything. All I want to do is entertain, please, and help Hajime. Nothing more.”

“Ok then…well, with this new timeline you coaxed yourself into, what were you doing in those 30 minutes between noon and 12:30pm?”

“I was getting food I think—I forgot about it because I couldn’t really find much.”

“And did you run into any other students during that time?”

“No, wait, I think…I think I saw Chiaki leave her room around that time. I think it was around 12:15 or so. She looked like she was in a hurry.”

“Fifteen minutes isn’t that long of a time to go searching for food.”

“So? I wasn’t even that hungry.”  

“Why didn’t you try and speak with Chiaki when you saw her?”

“I was under the impression she was off somewhere, she was walking kind of fast too. Maybe △she’s the one you should be interrogating instead of me? △ *laugh*”

“How about we move to the next bit? From what I see from the cameras, there isn’t much space underneath in the Sauna stalls besides for someone to sit down in the innermost portion. The dressing room has even smaller cubbies for clothing.  Monokuma said Hajime was found underneath there?”

“Yup. △Anyone you talk to will say that.△ We had a meeting reviewing the state that Hajimes’ body was found in.”

“I think the space in the Sauna drawers are a bit small for Hajimes’ stature, don’t you think?”

“I think there would be more Monokuma would add to the story if anyone really questioned it. Maybe covered by a pile of towels? Curled his body into a ball? I dunno, why are you asking me to doubt the guy who neither of us trust in the first place?”

“I just find it strange that no one questioned it. Didn’t you guys search the entire school by the end of the 2nd day?”

“I mean—er yeah—but. Not everyone looked in every room though. That was what the 3rd day was for. The people who searched the Sauna from what Sonia told me were △Chiaki, Mikan, and Teruteru△. None of them had issue with what Monokuma said.”

“Interesting. Well, for the most part, you’ve been cooperative. I appreciate your help. I have a better idea for who I need to speak to now.”

[Bonus scene!]

“No problem, F/N. I won’t remember any of this, will I?”

“Why should that matter?”

“Because, if I am remembering correctly, I made that rule.”

“…What?”

“Yeah.”

“…You’re a strange one, Nagito. Run along now.”

 

Your Choices:

1->[ Create Truth  Bullet: D O O R B E L L S ]

2->[ Create Truth Bullet: T I M E & S I G H T ]**

3->[ Create Truth Bullet: H A J I M E S’ M O O D & R E L A T I O N S H I P ]**

4->[ Create Truth Bullet: S A U N A S P A C E ? ]**

  * * = A03 Vote
  * ^ = quotev Vote
  * ~ = Danganronpa amino vote



Missed Choice: D O O R B E L L S

Missed opportunity for: nothing, gained bonus scene! When the correct sequence of choices are made, it unlocks a bonus scene to help you (and Hajime) crack the cases surrounding the school and the lives lost.

Who do you want to Interrogate next?:

-Sonia[Pathos, Ethos, Logos] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-Chiaki[Ethos, Logos] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ✔

-TeruTeru[Logos]~~~~~~~~~~~

-Mikan[Ethos, Logos]~~~~~~~

-Nekomaru[Ethos]~~~~~~~~

[You can't help but suspect Chiaki after interrogating Nagito. Although your mind was heavily debating between Sonia and Chiaki, you decide to interrogate Chiaki for more information. Besides, you can still interrogate one more person after speaking with Chiaki. You scribble down Chiakis' name and slip it underneath your rooms entrance. Hopefully, if all goes well, the perpetrator will be caught soon.]


	17. The Jolly Knife V -6PM- {School Life} - Chapter Thirteen[UPDATED]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edit: CHAPTER UPDATED!! Please read, important plot shit in here. : ) Thank you! Also, the format of the next few chapters are going to be different than usual. It's typically going to be 4 different sections of text surrounding a time of day(this time it is 6pm). Sometimes different characters will be narrating, other times it may just be the same person throughout that hour we're following. Also, be sure to choose wisely on who is the last to be interrogated on who put Hajime in the coma. You'll see an update to Chiakis' interrogation shortly.
> 
> I will work on and post the next interrogation for this week by the end of the day Monday. Voting will open after I have updated all websites with this chapter and the new interrogation. To vote, please comment who you would like to interrogate next. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks for reading!

 

I am sweating way too much right now. Akane told me she wanted to work out, not torture me! I could feel my body about to give out at every additional stride I tried on the treadmill, up to 10 miles an hour.

“So, what’s been troubling you,” Akane asked, not even bothered by the pace or speed we were going. I was barely able to catch my breath, much less try and eloquently explain my blight. My pride didn’t want to run less than half of what Akane had been running and my ego was already hurting by not being able to run that well.  It goes without saying, this is one of the lowest points in my life.

“I-I…LISTEN, uh, I…” I struggled to find the words as my legs were becoming jello beneath me. I was looking down so no one had to see the truly pitiful nature I was in. It was a nice gesture, Akane asking me to hang out and all, but this was no way to rebuild a mans’ pride.

I could hear Akane scoff at me, shadows of her hand clocking down the treadmill for me. I was too ashamed to see the new speed I was at so I kept my eyes to my feet.  

“I was planning on asking…Sonia out to dinner. Remember those coins we got from Monokuma? The prizes Fuyuhiko and I got were two tickets and well, you know the rest,” I explained in a muffled tone, too afraid to scan the crowd for others and too sullen to think much more into it.

“Oh, anyone denying free food is odd. If that were me, I’d say yes in an instant,” Akane replied, running along on her treadmill journey. Of course you would Akane; if Monokuma offered you dog food you’d eat it.

I kept my gaze to my feet as we spent the next several minutes in silence, perhaps self-made but otherwise self-loathing. I hated myself. The girl of my dreams was walking in tow with my rival. What else could I do to even make myself happy again?

“Look, don’t beat yourself up over it. Me and you are gonna have a good time eating tonight,” Akane said.

We took another five minutes to get off the treadmill. At first, Akane started heading toward the weights. But, for some reason, Akane abruptly stopped.

“Hey. I think that cardio will do for right now. Plus we’ll need to shower, right? We’ve got a couple more hours to kill before we need to go,” Akane said, looking up at the clock. It was 4:30pm on the dime. 

“I guess that’s true,” I said, my morose tone still slipping into my speech. Akane turned to me in a swift motion, pulling me by my shirt.

“Hey, cheer up punk. We’re getting fed a free meal—be grateful,” Akane said. Her tone was…very gritty. That made me feel inferior for sure. I gave her quick nods, to show that I was compliant, but on the inside, I was still dying. I had to be better than this. Akane was still pretty hot, besides her overall intellectual shortcomings.  Maybe there was a chance I could—no, I shouldn’t think that! I needed to use this time now to figure out what went wrong between me and Sonia. Maybe I could fix it?

* * *

 

So, I guess Akane helped me turn a 180 on my situation. Sure, I didn't get the girl wanted, but I still had a date of some sort tonight. This date had better prospects when compared to sobbing in my room or staring at Hajimes' comatose body tonight. I checked the clock: exactly 6PM. I took one last look at myself, breathing heavily into my hand to smell my breath—ick! I need mouthwash. I moved from the mirror in my bedroom to my bathroom. I gargled mouthwash, spitting right into the sink. To die down the mint smell, I slowly turned the faucet with the intention to swirl some water around my mouth. Even though I only turned it just a small bit, the water appears to be bursting from the faucet head.

In a normal, non-time sensitive day, I’d check more into the issue. But, I had a date, and a girl to hopefully not disappoint. Room maintenance was likely Monokumas’ job anyway. I took a dive into the rushing waters, sloshing the liquid around in my mouth before spitting back into the drain once more. I wiped my face off with a towel, smiling weakly into the mirror. A bit of water stained my uniform, a wet stain that covered the collar of my shirt.

“C’mon, cheer up,” I muttered to myself, pathetic I know, but I needed some way to keep my confidence up. I looked at my own reflection in the mirror. I had to be cool. I had to be the person I’ve made myself to be since middle school. Someone people would love and never betray. Someone to deserve love.

As I grabbed the tickets and exited my room, I heard a quick set of footsteps patter my way. Was Akane that happy for some food?

I looked to my left to see a flash of Chiaki, running faster than I’ve ever seen. She swept past me without a word. I watched Chiaki continue to run down the hallway, toward the other section of the 1st floor. What was her deal?

“Hey!” I heard Akane yell out, standing near the entrance of the dining room, “they won’t let me in without the ticket!” Akane wore her usual Hope Peak Academy outfit. I did the same since, well, we didn’t have that good of a clothing selection to choose from. I began to approach her, a bit nervous.

How would this turn out?

* * *

 

I was confined in this infirmary with Hiyoko as my only company. Besides Hiyoko gossiping about other people, she took glances at Hajimes body. Every now and then Hiyoko would make faces at him in attempts to get a reaction, but to no avail.

We were sitting here for the past several hours, discussing everything from hairstyles to the fate we were dealt by being stuck at school. I hated the school atmosphere, I missed the island…the carefree ideology. There wasn’t much in the infirmary to entertain us besides the dull sound of Hajimes’ IV dripping fluid every second or so.

I sat next to his bed, observing his features. Hajime appeared to have one bruise on the top of his forehead, likely the cause of his coma. Why was Monokuma being so secretive about this injury? Was it really one of us that hurt Hajime?  The rest of Hajimes’ body appeared ok(though I was too much of a prude to do a full body check). Who would ram Hajime in the head with an object just to put him in a coma? Or was the intention to…kill Hajime? The several hours I’ve spent with Hiyoko describing the oddity of the injury and report caused me to gain great suspicion toward Nagito. It only made sense for him to be the number one suspect, but since there had been no evidence of struggle or a weapon in Nagitos’ dorm room, the lead was cold. I was beginning to feel cold. The sound of Hajimes’ IV was bringing me back somewhere—somewhere cold and frothy and dirty. Somewhere that my memories are flooding into and I don’t like it. The infirmary setting morphed into the brick alleyway I was too familiar with by now. This time, instead of being cloaked in blood, snow went up to my knees. I was stuck.

All I could see was white. The underdeveloped pictures were crowding my vision, thousands of newspapers—every word propaganda for despair. The murders, the carelessness of it all, it burned into my mind. I wanted to forget every last bit of it. But the memories were rushing into my mind.

“Despair, Despair, Despair…” I could hear my previous persona chant a few years ago. The snow was up to my hips now. I feared that if I wiggled out of the snow now that I would only sink further.

Just outside of the alley was snow coming down diagonally, a figure slowly dragging itself through the blizzard conditions a few feet away. I did not want this again. All I wanted was to feel normal. There had to be something out there to help me!

I began to press and pound against the walls of the alley to express my desperation. There was no way that this was reality, but the numbness in my fingertips instructed me otherwise.

“Help,” I screamed above me, seeing nothing but the quickly accumulating snow banks on either side of me. I was…useless. Hopeless. The figure approaching me was becoming a bit more defined—two pig tails and a tall stature.  Was this…our kidnapper?  The face should reveal itself soon once the figure fully enters the alleyway. If I can just hold on until then…

“Hey! Mahiru, wake up,” Hiyoko snapped at me, pulling me out of the snowy alleyway and back into the infirmary. I looked at my hands—beet red and numb. I took a look at the concerned Hiyoko kneeling next to me, placing her hand in mine.

“Y-Yeah? Sorry, I zoned out,” I responded, though a bit colder than I meant to let off. Whatever. These visions were just due to lack of sleep or something. If I ignore them long enough, they have to go away.

Hiyoko held my hand, gently massaging my skin. The beet red color eventually came back to the usual color of my skin. I couldn’t tell anyone about my memories yet. If I did, then maybe, they would try to blame me as the attempted killer of Hajime. I refuse that. I held Hiyokos’ hand in mine, sighing.

“What’s gotten into you lately? That’s the fifth time you’ve spaced out like that, gripping your hands. Do you really miss Hajime that much,” Hiyoko teased, though, I wasn’t much into it or wanting to entertain her. My eyes stared straight ahead to Hajimes’ comatose figure. I hope he could have a safe recovery and the madness of his memories wouldn’t consume him as they were doing to me.

There was a knock on the door with it opening seconds later. I took a look behind me to see who it had been.

“You ladies have been working hard to keep our classmate safe! Chiaki and I will take helm and switch over with Kazuichi and Nagito once Kazuichi is freed up,” Nekomaru announced, stretching in the doorway. I smiled at him, glad to see the attention shift away from me. I can always ignore what Hiyoko says this way. Or whenever Hiyoko tries to question my flashbacks, I can always use the mystery of the school to defer from it. That doesn’t make me a bad person.

“Okay, well, thanks!” I replied, standing up from my seat. I could feel Hiyoko hands slowly drift away from mine.  I bowed, being respectful as I always am, heading toward the open doorway.

Nekomaru stopped me with his body, shaking his head.

“I’m waiting on my buddy to arrive before being left here alone. I wanna avoid any confusion if something happens during Chiaki and I’s shift,” Nekomaru said, roaring a laugh.  I nodded slowly, feeling Hiyokos’ stare at the back of my head.

“Yeah yeah. You guys are going to have the best seven hours of your life, I swear,” Hiyoko jabbed, laughing. Cruel, but whatever. I just needed to get out of here so my head doesn’t go back to that alley.

“Oh, we won’t be here that long. We’re hoping to switch off around 11pm. Nagito is being persistent about taking the night shift. We’re going to respect that, maybe he’s feeling a little guilty about what happened,” Nekomaru added.

“For sharing a room with him, I’d feel more than guilty, I’d feel I’d been the perpetrator!” Hiyoko retorted with another one of her famous, childishly loud laughs.  I watched as Nekomaru sighed, shaking his head at Hiyoko. 

“We can’t prove anything until Hajime wakes up Hiyoko! We must believe in our classmates,” Nekomaru said, fire in his eyes. As much as I wanted to believe in Nekomaru and the others, things were becoming cloudy. Much like our memories, they were coming in globs of pain. Well, at least for me.

“I’m here,” Chiaki announced, running up behind Nekomaru.  Her head had been covered in sweat and she had a large yellow backpack on. It wasn’t anything I had ever seen before. Was Nekomaru certain they weren’t staying the entire night?

“Jesus, finally. Let’s get this shift change over with,” Hiyoko stated, standing beside me and taking my hand.  I took Hiyokos’ hand into mine, thinking of what I will do for tonight. Will I have another flashback, potentially see who made us perform such horrid actions?

“One more thing though, before we disperse. I am extremely close on finding out who may have injured Hajime. I was looking to enlist your help, Mahiru and Hiyoko, to help corner the person who did it. Things shouldn’t get violent but I can’t promise it is without danger,” Chiaki said over to us, beginning to shuffle closer into the room.

“Jeez, why can’t we trust that bear to deal with that. If we have enough evidence, there’s gotta be some sort of punishment in store for someone,” Hiyoko complained, to which the evil little bear popped up out of nowhere.

“Ooo, punishment!” Monokuma said, a blush coming across his face. Everyone (besides Chiaki strangely) flinched in fear.

“Monokuma, what the hell are you doing,” I asked, placing my hands on my hips and staring down at him.

“Oh, I just heard the word punishment and came running! If you guys suspect someone for inflicting injury on a student in a **purposely malicious way** , and are able to prove it, I guess I’ll cook up some sort of punishment,” Monokuma explained, pressing his paw against the opened infirmary door.

“P-purposely malicious?  Well, since the event was likely an acciden—” Nekomaru began to say, but was quickly cut off as Monokuma raised his paw at Nekomaru with claws extended.

“Most things that will likely occur on school grounds will be premediated. No one accidentally knocked a blunt object onto Hajimes’ head, accidentally dragged him into the Sauna, and most definitely, did not accidentally stuff him into one of the stalls!  Quit dreaming kid or you’re going to be next,” Monokuma ranted, both of his hands up in the air with claws unhinged. I could feel Hiyoko begin to hide behind me, holding onto the fabric of my uniform. Nekomaru stalled his words, slowly shuffling himself into the infirmary.

“You’re awfully peeved for being the one enjoying us suffer,” Chiaki said, an absentminded look on her face. Hiyoko was taken aback by this, laughing into the back of my shirt. Monokuma pounced onto the door handle to be at Chiakis height, staring her right into her eyes.

“Well, for your information, this entire first injury is a letdown!” Monokuma retorted, pointing a claw over at Chiakis’ face. Chiaki still held her blank stare even with a sharp claw in her face. Who did this bear think he is, taking on such a menacing stance?

“Well, for your information, we’re not just an accumulation of body parts,” I said, reaching out to push away Monokumas’ claw from Chiakis’ face. But, as my hand got close, Monokuma moved to stand in front of me now.

“Oh, you would know more than anyone else,” Monokuma cackled, holding his belly with his now unclawed hands. Snow. Blood. Despair.

“Mahiru, you there?” Chiaki asked, poking at my forehead lightly. I felt dizzy…maybe we couldn’t trust the damned bear.   

“..Yeah,” I answered after clearing out my head.

“So, so, are we helping or not?” asked Hiyoko, giving me puppy eyes. Hiyoko and I now knew we couldn’t trust that bear to go after justice. It was up to us to figure out who hurt Hajime. Even if it was one of us.

“We’ll help. Just lead the way,” I answered.  

* * *

“Yosh, dinner prep is almost complete! Now to prepare the appetizer course, the soup,” TeruTeru said happily, humming along as he approached a corked bottle of liquid. The kitchen had been packed with an assortment of foods as well as fine wines selected by TeruTerus’ hand. As an assistant, I can only hop around haphazardly in excitement. A fancy ball-like dinner and I get to be the waitress! How exciting! My hair was pulled into  two braids, my purple highlights accentuating my face.

“Do you remember when you made this last?” Monokuma asked, coming out of nowhere like he usually does. I tried to say hi, but I think he just ignores me sometimes. Monokuma grabbed the liquid in the corked bottle, pulling a salt shaker from his bum. Ew—gross but interesting. I wonder where this is going!

“Oh, that soup, yep. The aphrodisiac soup is prepared just like you wanted, now all we need to do is serve it in about fifteen minutes,” TeruTeru said, gesturing over to me, “It’ll be the first dish you serve Ibuki! Make sure you greet our guest and let them know they’re appreciated.”

I gave super hardcore headbanging nods. I wanted to make sure I was communicating effectively with TeruTeru! Once my world got done shaking and my eyes focused on TeruTeru again, he appeared to have a disappointed look on his face.

“Change of plans Ibuki. We’re serving the soup before dessert. Sure, makes sense giving what the soup’ll do, but makes no sense culinary. Gotta listen to the boss though,” TeruTeru said with a huff, taking the uncorked bottle and throwing it into the fridge. 

Well, whatever happened, I’ll make sure to be the best waitress possible!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who do you want to Interrogate next(keep in mind this is the FINAL interrogation for trying to figure out who injured Hajime!):  
> -Sonia[Pathos, Ethos, Logos]   
> -Nagito[Pathos, Logos, uncover lie]   
> -TeruTeru[Logos]  
> -Mikan[Ethos, Logos]  
> -Nekomaru[Ethos, Logos]


	18. The Jolly Knife {Interrogation} II {School Life}  - Chapter 13.5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty, next investigation is up! I will post the rules in the notes in case anyone has forgotten. Again, you can only vote for 3 of the outstanding truth bullets. 
> 
> Enjoy! You guys will have until next week Monday to vote for truth bullets! : D

Pre-Interrogation

Account: Chiaki Nanami  
Timeline: Days .̃ͨ͊ͭͨͣ.̌ͯ̅̾ͮ.ͫͬ̈́̂̑͂̿͑̚jͦͭ̅̊̽̌̾̏r̐ͣ̿͑͐̀̅nͭ͑ͥ̍ǧ̾̾͛̍d̒ͣ͋ͯ͂̇̌̽́f̈́ͮ̃ͬ̈͗k͐̓ͣ̏̂̓̽́ͫv̀̎dͭ  
Given Alibis: 9͑ͩ̃ͬ̎̑9͂ͤ̒̚҉9̀͐͛́9̴̵̡͑͌̉  
People who have interacted with this character: 9͑ͩ̃ͬ̎̑9͂ͤ̒̚҉9̀͐͛́9̴̵̡͑͌̉

As you enter the interrogation room, you are greeted with the sound of loud snores. You are taken aback by the snoring Chiaki, leaned over the table with a line of snot and drool dripping from her face. Much like Nagito, Chiaki appears to be unaware of her situation too.

You quietly begin to call her name, not wanting to put her on edge, but you soon find out that doesn’t work. You loudly call out her name and then she comes to. The introductions go the same as it did with Nagito, followed with silence. Chiaki digs into one of her pockets and begins to carelessly play some sort of handheld video game. Did any of these kids have manners?

“So, I’ll be interrogating you about Hajimes’ current condition.”

“Okay.”

“…So, are you ready?”

“…”

“…”

“.ͯ̍̋̈́.̈́.”

“Well?” 

“Yeah, sorry, had to kill the boss.”

 

Transcript of Interrogation:

 

“So, where were you  when everyone realized Hajime went missing?”

“I was searching the 4th floor of the school. I was trying to find more information about why we were brought here. There’s a lot of debate on if we’re here here or well…not here.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, a lot of people in our group feel like this is some sort of test. Like, a litmus test to see what our commitment levels are for coming back to Hopes Peak.”

“Why on Earth would you—whatever, we’re getting beside the point. Hajime is in a coma right now and I want a further understanding of where you were the time people started noticing him missing.”

“Well, I was in the Biology lab. I was searching and then got notice from a few others that Hajime was missing. Everyone knew Hajime and Nagito weren’t feeling well so they didn’t really worry much about not seeing Hajime. I guess people really started worrying when Nagito began asking if anyone seen Hajime. Nagito invited us all to look around their room to clear his name, but, one thing seemed odd…”

“What did?”

“Nagito had a very defensive tone whenever someone asked about what Hajime was doing when Nagito last saw him. ”

“Could you give more detail about that?”

“He seemed very defensive against Hajimes’ actions. Like Hajime went out of his way hide what he was doing next from Nagito.”

“Why didn’t you question Nagitos’ testimony when he sounded so jaded?”

“I figured he was just being panicky. Nagito is always a bit off.  Why not the others, well, I dunno. ”

“So how long do you think Hajime was stuffed into the Sauna stall for?”

“That’s the thing…if Hajime was stuffed, then why there? And…hm…”

“But that—”

“The Sauna…what’s so special about the Sauna…”

“It isn’t—”

“Ah, that’s it! There’s no cameras in the Sauna!”

“…Ok. I’m asking about *time length*, not *why*. But, still, useful information.”

“Oh, I’m not sure. Is there something else I can answer?”

 

. . .

Your Choices:

0->[Create Truth Bullet from Nagitos’ Interrogation: W H Y H U R R Y?{Day 2, 12:15PM} ]

1->[ Create Truth Bullet:  S O N I A ?]

2->[ Create Truth Bullet:  H A J I M E S’ M O O D ]

3->[ Create Truth  Bullet: [N A G I T O ? ]

4->[ Create Truth Bullet:  S A U N A   U N S U P E R V I S E D? ]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rules:  
> \- You may interrogate a total of three students for sustained injuries (i.e attacks that do not result in death)  
> \- You may interrogate a total of five students for murders  
> \- You are only able to interrogate students at the dead of night (from Midnight to 4AM in game time, NOT real-life time)  
> \- None of the students will be able to remember that you have interrogated them  
> \- The evidence you pull from the students will be available for Hajime to use during class councils  
> \- You can only ask 3 of the 4(in this case, there's 5) available truth bullets during an interrogation session  
> \- You can interrogate the same student twice to receive all the truth bullets, but may not be worth it  
> \- You can only request to interrogate one student in the room at a time  
> ((OOC: You are aware of all the happenings in the story EXCEPT Chapter Nine and Hajimes’ dreams. Also, in case people are confused, the times listed in the rules is the time it is for the STORY, not in real life.))


	19. Chapter 13.51 - The Jolly Knife {Interrogation II} {School Life} , FULL TRANSCRIPT

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The full transcript of Chiakis' interrogation! 
> 
> Hoping to get more votes than I have received last time for who gets interrogated next. X-X 
> 
>  
> 
> Enjoy!

F/N = First Name

L/N = Last Name

Pre-Interrogation

Account: Chiaki Nanami

Timeline: Days .̃ͨ͊ͭͨͣ.̌ͯ̅̾ͮ.ͫͬ̈́̂̑͂̿͑̚jͦͭ̅̊̽̌̾̏r̐ͣ̿͑͐̀̅nͭ͑ͥ̍ǧ̾̾͛̍d̒ͣ͋ͯ͂̇̌̽́f̈́ͮ̃ͬ̈͗k͐̓ͣ̏̂̓̽́ͫv̀̎dͭ

Given Alibis: 9͑ͩ̃ͬ̎̑9͂ͤ̒̚҉9̀͐͛́9̴̵̡͑͌̉

People who have interacted with this character: 9͑ͩ̃ͬ̎̑9͂ͤ̒̚҉9̀͐͛́9̴̵̡͑͌̉

As you enter the interrogation room, you are greeted with the sound of loud snores. You are taken aback by the snoring Chiaki, leaned over the table with a line of snot and drool dripping from her face. Much like Nagito, Chiaki appears to be unaware of her situation too.

You quietly begin to call her name, not wanting to put her on edge, but you soon find out that doesn’t work. You loudly call out her name and then she comes to. The introductions go the same as it did with Nagito, followed with silence. Chiaki digs into one of her pockets and begins to carelessly play some sort of handheld video game. Did any of these kids have manners?

“So, I’ll be interrogating you about Hajimes’ current condition.”

“Okay.”

“…So, are you ready?”

“…”

“…”

“.ͯ̍̋̈́.̈́.”

“Well?” 

“Yeah, sorry, had to kill the boss.”

 

Transcript of Interrogation:

 

“So, where were you when everyone realized Hajime went missing?”

“I was searching the 4th floor of the school. I was trying to find more information about why we were brought here. There’s a lot of debate on if we’re here here or well…not here.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, a lot of people in our group feel like this is some sort of test. Like, a litmus test to see what our commitment levels are for coming back to Hopes Peak.”

“Why on Earth would you—whatever, we’re getting beside the point. Hajime is in a coma right now and I want a further understanding of where you were the time people started noticing him missing.”

“Well, I was in the Biology lab. I was searching and then got notice from a few others that Hajime was missing. Everyone knew Hajime and Nagito weren’t feeling well so they didn’t really worry much about not seeing Hajime. I guess people really started worrying when Nagito began asking if anyone seen Hajime. Nagito invited us all to look around their room to clear his name, but, one thing seemed odd…”

“What did?”

“Nagito had a very defensive tone whenever someone asked about what Hajime was doing when Nagito last saw him.”

“Could you give more detail about that?”

“He seemed very defensive against Hajimes’ actions. Like Hajime went out of his way hide what he was doing next from Nagito.”

“Why didn’t you question Nagitos’ testimony when he sounded so jaded?”

“I figured he was just being panicky. Nagito is always a bit off.  Why not the others, well, I dunno. ”

“So how long do you think Hajime was stuffed into the Sauna stall for?”

“That’s the thing…if Hajime was stuffed, then why there? And…hm…”

“But that—”

“The Sauna…what’s so special about the Sauna…”

“It isn’t—”

“Ah, that’s it! △There’s no cameras in the Sauna! △”

“…Ok. I’m asking about *time length*, not *why*. But, still, useful information.”

“Oh, I’m not sure. Is there something else I can answer?”

“Well, Nagito tells me that, around the time Hajime was last sighted, you were seen rushing around the dormitory area. This was 12:15pm the 2nd day you guys were brought here. Care to elaborate?”  

“Well, that’s a long story…*tap, slide…*”

“What’s this? Why are you handing me your game?”

“It’s everything I know so far about this case you’re interrogating. And, maybe if you ask the right questions from here on out, you may get a bonus. But I dunno, the chances are around twelve percent.”

“…So, you’re saying that—”

“Shh.”

“…But, for me to properly document—”

“Shh!”

You read the text on the gaming pad, showing a chibi version of Chiaki and the other students. You aren’t sure why Chiaki is forcing you to play her handheld videogame. Underneath the display of students, there is a red ‘S T A R T’ button at the bottom.

When you press the button, the screen quickly fades to the dormitory area as it shows Chiaki in pixel art rushing past Nagito. △Although Nagito had confided in you earlier that he had left to grab  food around 12:15pm, he appears to be returning into his room. So, in this picture, it appears Nagito is returning to his room rather than leaving around 12:15pm. △

As Chiaki rushes around, others are seen in the hallway too. Ibuki and Togami seem to be discussing proper dorm noise etiquette (denoted by speech bubbles) as many others seem to quietly chat outside their rooms.

And, if this is true…anyone could have knocked out Hajime at this point. You begin to doubt who is right or wrong. 

Chiaki continues to run until she is inside the gym. What could this mean? Once Chiaki enters the gym, the game screen fades to black. You take it upon yourself to use this as a cue to ask a question.

“So, how was Hajimes’ mood the last time you saw him?”

The question said aloud lights up the screen in bright lights. One stars populates the screen as Chiaki is shown on the screen with TeruTeru and Mikan.

“Well, the last time I personally saw him he seemed pretty okay. Hajime was close to Nagito since we woke up in the school. To be honest, △they were much closer than they were on the island in those few moments we spent in the gym. △”

“I know their relationship on the island was increasingly intimate, but how do you interpret the change Chiaki?”

You watch the screen, noticing that Hajime and Nagito are holding hands in the gym, looking a bit awkward. Then again, aren’t all young relationships doomed to have an awkward stage?

“It’s not that their relationship is wrong to me, it just feels…off. Like something is being pulled at. Or that one of them isn’t being fully honest. Either way, even if they were close, △it doesn’t completely rule out Nagito being involved △. He did go back into their room around 12:15pm.”

“But, you’re clearly suspecting Nag—”

“And on top of that, there were a complete list of people in the hallway during the lunch hour. So, among the people in the hallway, there had to be an accomplice somewhere. △Someone to either help or encourage Nagito to do what he did. △”

“And that’s troubling but we’re getting off top—”

“The list is; △Ibuki, Byakuya, Akane, Nekomaru, Sonia, Kazuichi, Mikan, and Fuyuhiko. △ Right off the bat I could strike off most people, but, I still need to gather more information. For Hajime to be injured and not to be found for so long, there’s only two things I can think of. Either Monokuma inertly wants students to hurt each other, or someone had to hide the body where there were no cameras and distracted Monokuma long enough to move the body into the no-camera zone.”

“And we’re completely off topic. But, I’ll still take note of those details. How about we move onto the next question?”

“So…you’re just going to ignore the fact that Monokuma may be the one behind all of this?”

“I’m not ignoring. Just finding the truth and clearing the names of those who are innocent. △Now, let’s speak more about Nagito. △ It sounds like he pulled the wool over both of our eyes when it comes to the timeline. If he did re-enter the room around 12:15pm and manage to hurt Hajime, what would be his motive?”

You notice Chiaki roll her eyes a bit at you, seeming disappointed. She crosses her hands and stays silent for a bit. You try to ask more questions but she shushes you, her handheld videogame flashing a variety of colors.

You wait until the colors stop blaring to speak again.

“Well?”

“Give me my game back.”

You look down and notice a floor layout is displayed on the game screen. For the purposes of this interrogation, you attempt to commit to memory those who room closest to Hajime and Nagito.

((OOC: From closest to trash room to furthest))

△Nekomaru N.                                                                                                        

Hajime H.

 ~~Nagito K.~~ Sonia N.

Chiaki N. △

Once you commit the names to memory, you slide Chiakis’ handheld game back to her. She picks it up with her hands and immediately begins to toy around with it.

“Well, since this really feels like the same question you just asked, I’ll just answer it in terms of what Nagito did on the 2nd day. △Nagito was very helpful in searching specifically the 2nd floor of the school. Nagito and Nekomaru really tackled it with all they had.△ Knowing Nekomarus’ character, if he noticed anything off with Nagito, he would’ve called it to attention right away. Which means… △the injury likely occurred the 2nd day between 12:15 and 1:00pm. △ It was around 1:30pm when we all gathered again to do another search of the school. I don’t want to believe the people in charge of hurting Hajime were one of the students, but it is becoming increasingly more likely.”

“Why 1:00pm specifically for the end time that the attack could have been made?”

“Well, even if someone did have assistance moving the body to the Sauna, it would’ve been impossible without a lookout. I would estimate it taking 30 minutes dragging the body through the proper places in the school to reach the Sauna without being noticed. And, on top of that, you’ve gotta keep Monokuma occupied. So, there’s △at least 3 people at work here…and that’s what makes this so troubling. Even if Monokuma goes against his own rules, there’s still two students out there that wanted this to happen… △”

“Wow, you’ve really put thought into this. I appreciate your assistance on this case, even if you were a bit defiant.”

“No problem, F/N. But there’s something I want you to always remember about us.”

“What is it Chiaki?”

“F/N. △Don’t ever lose faith in us; keep hope in us until the very end of this journey. No matter how dark or sorted this becomes, you must protect us. Otherwise, we all lose. △”

“Of course, I like to believe in everyone, but that can’t always be the case. The truth isn’t found in hope or anything like that. The truth is well, the truth. But. I’ll keep trusting you guys as much as I humanly can as a detective. Thank you for your time.”

As you exit the room, you are left with many suspects but only one more chance to interrogate someone. Who will it be?

. . .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your Choices:
> 
> 0->[Create Truth Bullet from Nagitos’ Interrogation: W H Y H U R R Y?{Day 2, 12:15PM} ]*~
> 
> 1->[ Create Truth Bullet: S O N I A ?]~
> 
> 2->[ Create Truth Bullet: H A J I M E S’ M O O D ]*~ 
> 
> 3->[ Create Truth Bullet: [N A G I T O ? ]*~
> 
> 4->[ Create Truth Bullet: S A U N A U N S U P E R V I S E D? ]
> 
> * = A03 Vote  
> ^ = quotev Vote  
> ~ = Danganronpa amino vote
> 
> Missed Choices: S O N I A? / S A U N A U N S U P E R V I S E D
> 
> Missed Opportunity for: Additional information regarding the Sauna, also missed bonus scene with Chiaki. When the correct sequence of choices are made, it unlocks a bonus scene to help you (and Hajime) crack the cases surrounding the school and the lives lost.
> 
> Who do you want to Interrogate next?:
> 
> -Sonia[Pathos, Ethos, Logos]✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✓
> 
> -Nagito[Pathos, Logos, uncover lie]✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔[Winner!]
> 
> -TeruTeru[Logos]✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔
> 
> -Mikan[Ethos, Logos]✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔
> 
> -Nekomaru[Ethos, Logos]✔✔✔✔✔✔
> 
> [You know Sonia is the suspicious one, but maybe Nagito is just framing it to be that way? You decide that your final interrogation should be with the one who has been quite wily: Nagito. You know since you have interrogated him before how to get him to say the words he needs to say in order to pick out the contradiction. What will come from uncovering Nagito lies? There's only one way to find out. You scribble Nagitos' name on a torn sheet of paper and slip it underneath your room door. You will find the truth behind this case.]


	20. The Jolly Knife VI -8PM- {School Life}  - Chapter Fourteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy October! It's my favorite month! Now, we start the countdown until the first death of the story! ^_^ I am excited to see how this turns out. The next interrogation will be posted later today with Nagito. 
> 
> Can you guys get him to actually say something that's not complete BS? We'll see~!

Gundhams’ POV

“What’s going on,” I asked Mikan, terrified at my current predicament. Death may have been easier than persisting to exist in a place like this. The memories that were coming back to us weren’t a death sentence to our change. I wished my classmates realized that.

I watched as Mikan began to inch toward me onto the bed, crouching over my figure. She had a bright pink blush on her face as she nearly drooled an extensive line of spit onto me.

“Despair, that’s it. I just got done rigging a replacement IV for Hajime. It’s filled with poison activated by water. The funny thing is, it also looks just like the IV liquid. Once it mixes with his bloodstream, he’ll be a goner. Isn’t that fun—and then, we’re going to have a class council,” Mikan replied, though I was sickened by her reaction. Why was this so commonplace for her?

I looked at my hands and saw that they were not bonded. This calmed me a bit, glad that I could have a bit of mobility. As I started to shift my body away from Mikans’, I felt the injury dealt to my lower chest area radiate with pain. I regret trying to move. Maybe they saw any binds as overkill?

As I could move myself to a sitting position with the (unsolicited) help of Mikan, I tried to gather my thoughts. If I told them, again, I was unwilling to help would I die? Was the knife wound a warning?

“A-Ah! I forgot to tell you the plan. I am going to distract some non-believers shortly while it is your job to replace Hajimes’ IV. It’s simple but Sonia says she’s willing to go help you out if you have issues. I know she would’ve dealt with it herself, but she wants to know if you are committed,” Mikan said to me, her forehead touching mine. Would lying, however terrible it may be in this occurrence, be my only option out?

“I need to speak with Sonia, in private. Where is she?” I asked. Mikan nodded to my words as if I asked a yes or no question. My eyes started to scan the room until they fell on Sonia in the bathroom, admiring herself in the mirror. Wait—that dress she’s wearing—that’s not a Hope Peaks’ Academy Uniform! That’s her dress from the island…how did she manage to get something like that?  

“Uhm, could you give me and Sonia some alone time,” I asked again, perhaps in a more concise matter so Mikan could get the hint. Mikan continued to stare into my eyes, saying nothing. Well, this is getting me nowhere. And I don’t have much mobility…what to do. What to. Do.

I heard the bathroom door slam.

Kazuichis' P.OV.

“W-Wait, Akane! That’s not what I mean at all,” I called to Akane. I really messed up now. How could I let a dinner that was going so well end up this badly?

“Nope, I’m pissed now! Miss Sonia Nevermind is going to get a piece of my mind,” Akane screamed back to me, running out of the dining room and into the hallway. I could try and follow her, but…so long as Sonia didn’t open her door, she’d be safe, right? There was no way for Akane to barge in and hurt her. I dusted off my clothes as I stood up, TeruTeru exiting the kitchen.

“Hey, Hey! Did you enjoy my soup?” TeruTeru asked, as if he had been completely unaware that a loose cannon just shot itself into the hallway! I turned to him with a very grave, long look on my face.  Something needed to be done.

“No. The soup caused feelings and emotions to surface that were initially bottled up quite nicely. I’d like a refund,” I answered coldly. TeruTeru shivered at my tone, shaking his head.

“That request is above my currn’t payrate ya’hur? I’m a-bussn’ my l’mb off n’ der, and you gone den darn tell me that d’n dinner is a wash? Go take yo’ complainin’ on twa Monokuma!” TeruTeru answered in a country accent. Sure, if I didn’t feel so depressed right now, I’d have a better reply. TeruTeru kept on and on, but, I kind of blurred out what he said after a while.

Our waitress for the night, Ibuki, came out of the kitchen next. She appeared to have changed out of the more formal wear immediately, back with piercings and all. Maybe she could talk some sense into Akane?

“Hey, Ibuki? Can you talk some sense into Akane for me? Since we finished our soup, she’s gotten aggressive. I’m scared she may hurt Sonia,” I spoke over to Ibuki, who nodded too enthusiastically.

“Yeah, sure! She really loved the soup, but for some reason, when you went on your three minute soliloquy about how Sonia and Gundham were together and you being with Sonia was hopeless, things went sour! Maybe that made her angry about Sonia taking you for granting, trigger long repressed feelings of love and hatred for her,” Ibuki suggested. Well, that was…not what I expected from her. I nodded to Ibuki as she ran out to the hallway, turning my attentions back to TeruTeru. TeruTeru had still been cursing me out throughout the time Ibuki had been speaking to me it seems, his entire face red as if he had been choking.

“Ok, I’ll talk to Monokuma about it, don’t have a cow,” I replied to TeruTeru, his face looking a bit twisted as flames lit in his eyes.

“And now ya goin’ a-callin’ me a beast instead of a-be—” TeruTeru began his rant, but I was already near the exit of the dining room. I didn’t have time for his antics. Or, if I wanted to, press him on what was exactly in that soup. I did recall one school day of us drinking a similar soup, but the following events still felt fuzzy. There was no way Monokuma would allow TeruTeru to drug us, right?

Right?

Gundhams' POV

“And then, after much deliberation, Sonia and I came up with the whole rigging the IV idea. We figured it would be the most despair inducing because it would lead to everyone questioning everyone! Madness, despair, excitement,” Mikan continued on and on with her drivel. I had to pretend and keep up this façade if I wanted a chance to confront Sonia. I had to stop this dastardly plan to poison our classmate Hajime at his weakest! What did Sonia and Mikan want to achieve with this notion of despair? Mikans’ head was still pressed against my forehead, forcing me into this awkward spacing predicament. Each time I would move my head closer to the bed, Mikan could close the gap with her forehead, gasping like some sort of animal in heat.

I heard Sonias’ bathroom door swing back open, hitting the wall with a loud “bang”. Where could she have obtained that dress if all Monokuma provided us were uniforms?

“Oh Mikan, it’s time for phase two. I think the shift change is about to happen. This would be the perfect time for us to sneak in the new IV and poison Hajime,” Sonia said with a wicked grin on her face. How…polluted with despair were these two? How dare they try and poison our friend!

“Hehehe, well how about it Gundham, how about you give us a hand,” asked Mikan, her eyeballs engulfed by a black-and-white swirl color. Was this the image of despair or how I could tell someone had been impacted? What a strange condition. I needed an excuse, any excuse, to be one-on-one with Sonia. It was the only way.

“Sure, but er, I need to speak to Sonia about something. In private,” I stated, trying to keep up the whole despair fake out. I needed to stall for more time. Eventually, I was nearly positive that Sonia could snap out of it with two people here. Or, if possible, if we got into a group of more than 3 people Sonia would realize her own plan. I had to keep that small bit of hope in her. But…why request to be in private then? Ugh—mysteries aren’t my cup of tea.

“Sonia,” Mikan turned, looking at Sonias’ face for verification, “Your call. I may leave a bit early just to keep the face of despair alive.” I watched as Mikan shivered a bit, a string of drool beginning to hang from her face.

“Do what you want, it probably won’t take more than 5 minutes,” Sonia replied with just as grim of a smirk, “Be sure to stop the door with something so you can let yourself back in.” Sonia went into her drawers, pulling out her Hope Peak Academy uniform. It appeared to be drenched in some sort of liquid. Maybe that’s where the original IV fluid went? Why on her clothes though? These girls were strange.

Sonia tossed over the dampened clothes to Mikan. Upon catching them effortlessly, Mikan made strides toward the door.

“Don’t take too long~” Mikan said with a giggle, opening the door. I could hear Mikan began to shift the clothes into the doors’ nook.

I shifted myself up a bit, still feeling the pain on my lower chest. I pressed my back against the headboard of Sonias’ bed, feeling the metallic structure of my weapon. I think it was proper time to strike soon.

I took one last glance around the room and noticed the rigged IV in the bathroom. I was grateful Mikan hadn’t taken it with her. Then again, that would make others wary. Now, all I needed was a good distraction…and then, I would make my move. I couldn’t kill Sonia; I didn’t have it in me and I wanted Sonia to heal from this sickness of hers. If it had been spreading to the rest of the students, we needed to stop it before it was too late.

When I heard Sonias’ door shut against the damp uniform, I watched as Sonia climbed onto the bed. Her legs, seductively parted on either side of my body, looked me in the eyes.

“Are you really despair or are you just a coward afraid of death?” Sonia asked, a giggle following her question. I shook my head at her, using my left hand to crawl up my back. Besides carefree barbeques, I hadn’t held one of these in a long time. I hoped it was sharp enough to knock Sonia unconscious due to blood loss or another…and there was a nurse right outside too.

I will fix Sonia. I had to do it before we would all fall underneath the same sickening spell of despair.

As my hand exited my shirt with my skewer, Sonia lunged at me with her knife. Both of us knew what needed to happen.

“Oh, cute, so you are just a coward! Who brings a skewer to a knife fight? You’re just begging to be killed,” Sonia said with a scuff, bringing down her knife along my face. I parried her attempt at a blow with the skewer, hands shaking. I w-wasn’t going to kill Sonia. I was going to knock her unconscious.

But why did I bring a skewer to knock someone unconscious? Maybe I am a coward. As our metals clanged, over and over in consistent stalemates, Sonia began to laugh abruptly.

“Oh Gundham, you sure have a way with that little metal pipe of yours,” Sonia said, almost in a mockingly sexy tone. No Gundham; you’re bigger and less despair-ridden than her. You can’t let her teasing and attacks get to you. Simply get the job done; knock her out cold and tell the others the plots she had been making. I had an ally; Mikan, or rather proof.

“Snap out of it Sonia, or I will have no choice other than to knock you out,” I said, pleading at this point. My entire focus had been shifted into Sonias’ swirled eyes. I needed to knock the despair completely out of her soul.

“Oh, please, knock me out! I am growing tired of the emptiness of this school. Someone needs to be hurt at this point,” Sonia said with a menacing laugh, using her body to pin me tight against the bed. The extra weight was adding pressure to my fresh wound. I could feel it open again.

Oh god, help me.

And, seemingly out of nowhere, a large bloodied bat slammed into view.

?? POV

OkayḨ̵̵̢̼̘͈̹͖͉͎̹͍̮͚͙̼̻͓̻͢i̧̛̥͍͕̰̭̦̕͜a͏̦̖̩̞̟̖͕͇̙͙̻̗̮͟M҉̨̬̖̻̺̤͚̹̹̫͇̗̜̪͠a͟҉̶̴̧̠̤͓̦̟̲̙͚̪͔̰̤̹k̷̯̼̥̥i̛̛̥̦̙̣̭̩̟̯͖̬̲̦̠͕̠ͅͅͅv͡҉̸̨̛̘͈͎̻̖̺̥̹͉͕̪̮̲͔͍̝ͅį̮̖̰̱̮̯͍͉̕͢, be cool. You got this. Chiaki chose you because you are calm, collected, and not afraid of having your entrails ripped out by a nurse. As I exited my dorm room and rounded the corner to the other line of dorm rooms, I saw Mikan exit from Sonias’ room. Mikan crouched down, appearing to put a Hope Peaks’ Academy uniform in Sonias’ doorway to keep the door propped open. I breathed in quickly. I couldn’t assume Sonia was the collaborator yet. I needed more intel.

In my Hopes’ Peak Academy uniform, I proceeded to interact with the subject as Chiaki requested.

“H-hey Mikan. I needed your help in the Sauna. Chiaki wanted you to look at something for her,” I said, smiling the best I could. Mikan looked over me nervously, shivering.

“D-D-Did someone get h-hurt? I am terribly sorry but I had a special a-assignment given to me by Sonia—” Mikan began to say, but now I had all the verification I needed. They were terrible people to do this to Hajime.

“But it’s important Mikan! Can’t Sonia wait five minutes?” I asked, putting my hands together and bowing to her. Please don’t see through me, please don’t see through me…oh god, please don’t see through me! I closed my eyes tightly as I thought over what my fate would be if Mikan was a setup. What if Sonia isn’t even in there and this is a ruse to murder someone?  

“…I will make time then. Lead the way,” Mikan said, sounding defeated. I lifted my head up, exhaling. I guided Mikan around to where the trash room was at, taking the long way. If this was going to be executed properly, we couldn’t afford any mistakes.


	21. The Jolly Knife {Interrogation} III {School Life} - Chapter 14.5 FINAL INTERROGATION FOR INJURY ONE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We made it to the final interrogation to get to the bottom of who the heck knocked Hajime out. You do have the choice of suggesting to Hajime who most likely hurt him. It's up to Hajime within the story to decide to believe you or not.
> 
> I'll say right off the bat that this interrogation will be tough(and future ones will get increasingly tougher because soon to be murder). 
> 
> I ENCOURAGE YOU GUYS TO COMMENT AND VOTE FOR THE ONES YOU WANT TO USE! I'm begging you, I'd love to have more fun adding up votes from more than just a couple people that vote here and then the hundred or so I get on the amino app. And, if you are voting on the amino app but reading it on here, state so. That way I can get a better idea of how to approach you guys as my audience.
> 
> Enjoy and hope you like this! See more notes in the beginning and end chapter notes!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll give you guys a hint because I am introducing a new mechanic of using truth bullets. In this case, you will want to use ONE truth bullet(on the last triangle statement;"△It’s pretty clear I had nothing to do with this case and was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. △") and create TWO truth bullets. There are three combos that will give you good-best outcomes(with one being the perfect mix) and one that will literally cause Monokuma to appear(think of it as landing on a Bowser space in Mario Party...shit won't end well). 
> 
> Again, enjoy ^_~ And comment if you're not sure how to vote or need clarification on something!

In Pursuit of the Truth! Final Interrogation!

Account: Nagito Komaeda

Timeline: Day 1 to Day 4

Given Alibis: 2(Chiaki disproved one, so he’s down to 1 now)

People who have interacted with this character: 2?

Pre-Interrogation[FAQ]

As you enter the interrogation room, you meet your first suspect again: Nagito Komaeda. He greets you happily, as if he is unaware of the situation. He does seem to have his memory wiped as he outlined before. You greet him back, introducing yourself. Nagito appears to look around the room a bit before giving you a cold-hearted look. Were people this predictable—if someone got their memory from an event was shredded, would it happen again just like so?

“Do you know how high the stakes right now?”

“Yes, for the most part.”

“It’s not that I don’t trust your abilities at all. I just doubt you know the full concept of why you’re here.”

“Don’t give me more backtalk! I know what I’m doing.”

“Hajime I bet? Or should I use his other name, Izuru? I get that you are kind of our aid here, but that isn’t why I’m ok with it in the first place.”

“Oh, how did you know?”

“Let’s save that question for another interrogation. Anyway, let me explain to how your things will work. Sure, you have the power to interrogate. Asks questions outside the school environment.  But, once Hajime receives your notes, there are some things he may refuse as fact. You’ll need to keep things in mind when getting information: you need to persuade Hajime to believe your notes and then the entire class. Fail one and the other goes right out the window.”

You think about this bit once more. You recall Nagito saying something similar the first time you had interrogated him. You feel a bit nervous that Nagito is the one to knock Hajime unconscious. Would Nagito really be such a loose cannon? But, for now, more relaying similar words so Nagito can walk right into being caught into a lie.

“I’m sure it’ll be easy. I just need to lay down the facts and he’ll understand it perfectly.”

“There’s a particular order to the art of persuasion that’s easiest for most to stomach. Ethos, Logos, and Pathos.  The words derive from Aristoteles “ingredients for persuasion”. Everyone likes to make appeals or claims—each segment of PEL(Pathos Ethos Logos) codifies the appeal into a specific category. Pathos stands for an appeal to emotion, a way of convincing an audience by generating an emotional response. Logos is an appeal to logic, persuading an audience by reason. Ethos is an appeal to ethics, a means to convince someone of valor or credibility by the persuader. Most cases, in injury and murder, you want to have a mixture of these types in hand. Some cases may require more appeals of one type than others. You should understand this, right?”

“If you students are falling victim to despair, killing each other, it doesn’t help me save you. I’ll keep losing you until the despair takes over. I thought my goal here was to prevent the deaths from happening.”

“*Scoffs* The person running this thing probably already is aware we’re going to kill each other, but doesn’t want to make it outright. But that’s beside the point. All that I want to make sure of is that our help is aware of the mechanics of this thing. You’ll want to appeal to more than just the logical solution; we’re young but not as sharp as a detective. We feel more than we think usually.”

“Fine, Fine. You must enjoy hearing yourself talk.”

“…Sure. Let’s get on with it.”

Transcript of interrogation:

“So, where were you during the time Hajime went missing?”

“I dunno, with Sonia maybe? The first day we got here, Hajime and I ended up resting the first day. On the 2nd day, I went ahead of Hajime to explore. Since I wanted to get a recap of what the group did earlier, I knocked on Nekomarus’ room first since he was the closest. I knocked a few times but Nekomaru never came to the door. I decided to try Sonias’ door then. She let me in and we discussed what we found. That took about an hour. Then I decided to check up on Hajime and he was already gone.”

“Instead of worrying, I decided that he may have went to search the school on his own. It wasn’t until the middle of the 3rd day that I got worried since everyone I talked to said they hadn’t seen him. It was the middle of the 3rd day when Monokuma found Hajime in the Sauna crammed into one of the stalls. Of course, he didn’t officially announce Hajime as missing or found until he could confirm Hajime was still alive. And, well, I’m just as shocked as everyone else right now.”

“And the reason why you didn’t reach out earlier is because…?”

“Because I didn’t want to intrude on his life. I know living with a roommate can be a bother sometimes. I didn’t want to pressure him back into the room if he felt overwhelmed. Besides, I’m sure Hajime could get buddy buddy with some of the girls around here!”

“So how long do you think Hajime was stuffed into the Sauna stall for?” 

“Who knows? Anything else you’d like to know?”

. . .

“How was Hajimes’ mood the day he went missing?”

“Hajime, he was doing well last I recall.”

“I’ve been watching your security cameras, cut the crap.”

“If you were watching the cameras, I wouldn’t be the main suspect. I was obviously out of the room the moment Hajime was attacked.”

“And you are positive of that because…?"

“Because I wasn’t the one to hurt him! I had no motive to. We were roommates.”

“You walked out on him in silence this morning. I’ve watched enough to see you and Hajime cuddle in your sleep. And you comb Hajimes hair. And you pull him closer in your sleep during your nightmares.”

“…So? I-I mean, we weren’t on the best of terms but that doesn’t mean I had a vendetta out for Hajime. It must have been close to △12:30△ or so when I left and started doing the things I outlined before!”

“You said 12:30pm? And you are positive?”

“Yes! 12:30PM! And then I knocked on Nekomarus door, waited, got no response…I walked over to Sonias’ door, talked for about an hour, and I checked on Hajime at 1:30pm roughly.”

“△12:30△ is quite a particular time to choose. Especially since…*tap, crack. Slight pause*…”

(Recorded voice of Nagito) “Well, it’s almost noon, we’re really hungry, and I highly doubt the worst-case scenario would ensure. Besides, if Hajime can only be my boyfriend in this room, I’d like to maximize that as much as possible!”

“…*blush*…Touché. I am guilty of saying that line. Guess you pointed out about half an hour of free time for me to, well, be the assailant. But I clearly left the room if you are watching our security cameras. You said it yourself: I was silent and exited the room. ”

“Well, why were you quiet?”

“I was quiet because I didn’t want to tell Hajime anything. All I want to do is entertain, please, and help Hajime. Nothing more.”

“Ok then…well, with this new timeline you coaxed yourself into, what were you doing in those 30 minutes between noon and 12:30pm?”

“I was getting food I think—I forgot about it because I couldn’t really find much.”

“And did you run into any other students during that time?”

“No, wait, I think…I think I saw Chiaki leave her room around that time. I think it was around 12:15 or so. She looked like she was in a hurry.”

“Fifteen minutes isn’t that long of a time to go searching for food.”

“So? I wasn’t even that hungry.”  

“Why didn’t you try and speak with Chiaki when you saw her?”

“I was under the impression she was off somewhere, she was walking kind of fast too. Maybe △she’s the one you should be interrogating instead of me? △ *laugh*”

“How about we move to the next bit? From what I see from the cameras, there isn’t much space underneath in the Sauna stalls besides for someone to sit down in the innermost portion. The dressing room has even smaller cubbies for clothing.  Monokuma said Hajime was found underneath there?”

“Yup. △Anyone you talk to will say that.△ We had a meeting reviewing the state that Hajimes’ body was found in.”

“I think the space in the Sauna drawers are a bit small for Hajimes’ stature, don’t you think?”

“I think there would be more Monokuma would add to the story if anyone really questioned it. Maybe covered by a pile of towels? Curled his body into a ball? I dunno, why are you asking me to doubt the guy who neither of us trust in the first place?”

“I just find it strange that no one questioned it. Didn’t you guys search the entire school by the end of the 2nd day?”

“I mean—er yeah—but. Not everyone looked in every room though. That was what the 3rd day was for. The people who searched the Sauna from what Sonia told me were △Chiaki, Mikan, and Teruteru△. None of them had issue with what Monokuma said.”

“Interesting. Well, for the most part, you’ve been cooperative. I appreciate your help.  But, now, I must break this contradiction you’ve outlined in your account.”

“…What F/N? You’re accusing me, out of everyone, of lying? What type of evidence do you even have to disprove anything I just said? △It’s pretty clear I had nothing to do with this case and was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. △”

. . .

Your Choices:

1->[ Create Truth  Bullet: C h I a k I s A c c o u n t]

2->[ Create Truth Bullet: H A L L W A Y ? ]

3->[ Create Truth Bullet:  H A J I M E  D A Y 2?]

4->[ Use Truth Bullet: {D a y 2, 1 2 : 1 5 P M }]

5->[ Use Truth Bullet: T I M E & S I G H T ? ]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're feeling confident in your guessing abilities, you can vote for who to accuse for knocking Hajime unconscious! More choices may appear after the full transcript is updated. Current choices are below:
> 
> Who do you want to recommend to Hajime for who knocked him unconscious?:  
> -Sonia  
> -Nagito  
> -Mikan  
> -Chiaki


	22. The Jolly Knife -9PM~10PM- {Deadly Life} I - Chapter Fifteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And, here we have it! Our first murder! SPECIAL THANKS TO *:･ղɑցíեօ✿･:*(from Danganronpa Amino App, will link their profile here too: http://aminoapps.com/page/danganronpa/1643000/ghats-ieo) for doing the artwork for our victim. 
> 
> The last interrogation for Hajime will be posted tonight! Thanks for following me so far everyone! I hope you enjoy the chapter!

Gundhams’ POV

I am, admittedly, a coward. A struggling to survive coward. Someone who has watched a murder occur without even trying to assist in saving the attacked personnel. Here I am; bleeding my innards out. Part of me pondered if doctoring my wound in my room would leave me alive longer. But then, if it did survive, wouldn’t I be the number one suspect?

The person who came in, clad with bat among other devices, saved my life. Much longer and Sonias’ knife would be somewhere in my body and she’d be laughing. With her eyes as swirls as she rushed to find Mikan. Who knows how that class council would’ve gone.

I’ve made my promise to the person who had saved me. I would not rat that person out for anything. Besides, if we’ll all just be stuck doing forced free labor tomorrow, what was the worst the bear could think up for a punishment?

I was struggling to walk up toward Sonias’ door, still propped open with the damp clothes. I was still unsure of what to do. How would I explain this to everyone else? What would be my saving grace?

I left my weapon, my skewer, upon the bed that I had been stabbed. A small bloodstain was left where my wound had reopened. So long as no one tried to match DNA or the sorts, I would be safe. People would dismiss it as part of her painful death. I took one last look of the room.

The furnishing had been torn asunder. The drawers were ripped open wide, large splatters of blood stains on just about everything. And, of course, Sonias’ body was propped up against the shower. We had a difficulty in deciding if we should let the water run to clear her body from all the blood or leave her as is. We chose the latter. Was the truly the best outcome of such a compromising situation? The IV liquid was the worst of it; when the person found out about Sonias plan, she ripped the entire thing open and doused Sonia in the liquid. I wasn’t sure if that person was hoping for Sonia to be impacted by the poison right away (or if that had been why they had selected to not run the water).

As I limped toward the exit of Sonias’ door, I knew I had to be careful. If one person saw me with such wound on my body, they would immediately jump to the conclusion that I killed Sonia. But that can’t be the case. I wasn’t the killer. It was the other person. But, my promise would require me to act like the criminal. That would still take the glory off the other person and onto me. How foolish I am.

I gripped Sonias’ doorknob, peaking out the crack the dampened clothes provided me. Well, the hallway looks as dead as it could get.  I slowly limped out to the hallway, hoping no one would notice the disastrous condition I was in.

*

Kazuichis’ POV

Despite my best efforts, I was stuck with Nagito watching over Hajime the rest of the night. How could I say no to the dude that was near tears? Besides, with the night I’ve had, maybe this bit of quiet was just what I needed.

 

“I just want him to wake up,” Nagito mumbled to Hajimes’ sleeping body. The large wound on his head was beginning to show signs of healing but, still not a peep from mister sleepy boy. What encouraging words could I say? I wasn’t exactly on as friendly terms with Nagito as Hajime was. Wait—I have an idea!

  
“I know, it must be hard watching over him this way…” I said, sighing. To get close and understand Nagito, I knew what I must do. I turned my face to Nagito, shivering a bit. Well—erm, Hajime forgive me! I just want to understand!

 

I began to move my face closer to Nagito, my lips puckering up. Well, I need to do better. It was like Akane said at dinner earlier; I need to put myself in the other persons’ shoes. I could feel my heart begin to pound harder. I was struggling to focus on the goal. Was a kiss this intense?

 

“Yeah, it’s…” Nagito stated before abruptly standing. Damn—I mean yay—I didn’t get the chance to kiss him. My eyes caught sight of a miracle—Hajime with his eyes open! Hopefully he didn’t see me making a move—I mean getting into his shoes!   

 

I watched Nagito and Hajime do their lovey dovey reunion thing—making out…a lot. It took me a minute to realize they probably wanted to be alone for a bit. As for me—I needed to spread the good word! I had to leave and let everyone know things were back to normal! The first person on my list: Sonia!

 

“I-I’ll go tell the others you woke up!” I said to Hajime, making quick eye contact with him before bursting out of the Infirmary door.

 

*

??? POV

To be honest, this entire standoff was scary. I didn’t understand how I was helping. In the heat of the Sauna, Mikan had two sharp knife things in her head, ready to dive into our flesh and kill us. This was not going to end well. Not good at all. I stood behind M̰̳̝̙ͨͫ̑̄̌ͪ̌͑͌̐͢͢͞a͒̾̅ͪͩͨ͜҉̴̢͎͍͈̹̗͖̞̟̠̞̪̙̮ḩ̿̎̍̃͘҉̝̥̺̩̩̪̼̖̮̙̳̫̘̫̰͉̹̮͢ȉ̵̢͙̣̦̺̣̥̥̙ͭ̔͋͐ͅͅr̷̵̯͓̹̣̫͕̠͔̠̼̺͔̼̝̩̯̾̍̎ͭ̄̋̏ͤ̇͌̽̑̿̚ȗ̶̵͕͕̙̟̄̒̃ͦͭ̎̈ͣ͟͢  
̷̨̧̰͓̜̙̺͔͚̘̰̜͔̃͌̒͌̃ͮͣ̑͘̕ while Chiaki did most of the fighting with her a plank of wood. Chiaki held a fighter pose like those people in the video games; legs parted and with weapon in hand.  

“Just admit it, you were the one to knock Hajime out and drag his body,” Chiaki said in between heavy pants.  The piece of wood she was using to block her body was covered in several, deep cuts. Mikan looked flushed with her usual piggish attitude.  Her nurses outfit was covered in splashes of the Saunas’ warm water. Mahiru continued to snap photos of the altercation, seeming calm under such a crazy circumstance.

“Oh, so cute, but it won’t mean shit if you’re dead!” Mikan said in a deadpan-like tone, rushing Chiaki with two surgical knifes in hand. 

Why else was I here other than to be terrified? This was a terrible, terrible mess. And worst of all my favorite pair of scandals were being warped by this disgusting heat!

*

Kazuichis' POV

Things are going perfect! Almost 12 hours ago I was at the bottom of the barrel. But, now, I was heading into the room of my favorite person! Sonia would be so happy to hear Hajime was better now. I wonder how she would praise me—would she pat me on my head like a puppy or ask me to lead her directly to the now awakened Hajime?

As I approached her room, it was barely held open by a pile of an old outfit she had. The fabric appeared to have some tears around the seams. What a cool idea to use them as a door stopper! I pressed forward into the room, excited to see my princesses’ smiling face.

The room was…a bit dirty. Maybe a splotch of blood here or there, but, there had to be a good explanation for such a room in disarray! I took quick glances around for Sonia. Not under the broke bed, not hiding underneath the ripped clothing, hmm. Where was my princess?

“Kazu…ichi…” I heard a tired voice call out. I turned around to see—oh jesus—Sonia…bloody.  In the bathroom, she was propped against the shower wall. He leggings had large holes, cuts on her thighs, and signs of a wound on the top of her head. Worst of all, it appeared that someone had drenched Sonia with some sort of water substance, covering her entire body. If Sonia hadn’t been bleeding and appearing to be in such pain, this would actually be kind of…hot.

Who could have done this to my princess? I needed answers, but first, I had to tend to her.

“What’s going on? Are you ok? How can I help?” I asked as fast as I could. Time had to be of the essence here. With all the blood draining from her wounds it could only be a matter of time before she would pass over. I scanned Sonias’ face, one of her eyes appearing to be completely dislocated from her socket with a cut below her eyeball. This was…unbelievable. Someone had to pay for this!

“…Water…” was all I could hear from Sonia. It was a whisper at first, but then she repeated herself, like a mantra. Sonia wanted water, at a time like this? Who was I to ignore such an innocent request?

The moment I turned the shower on, a large amount of water began to rush over her body in the shower. I tried my best to reangle the spray, but I ended up getting pretty wet in the process. Heh, well if Sonia was already murdered (which she clearly isn’t she spoke to me dammit), I would look suspicious with all of this water on me.  

“Is that enough Sonia? Is there anything else you want me to do before I leave?” I asked, looking down at her. Even when beaten bloody, Sonia still managed to look beautiful. I watched the blood from her wounds wash away in the large sprays of water. The colors of crimson circled the drain, exiting from my view.

“…Call to the others.” Sonia said, though her lips appeared to not to move all that much. But now wasn’t the time to ask questions or try and earn brownie points! I had to collect the others so we could determine who could have done such an evil act!

I proceeded to exit Sonias’ bathroom, drenched in water, sprinting. I had to get everyone together. Sonia was attacked and I wouldn’t rest until I found the culprit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final interrogation for who hurt Hajime will be posted shortly! Thanks again for following me for over 50k words now : )


	23. The Jolly Knife {Interrogation} III {School Life} - Chapter 15.5 FULL TRANSCRIPT, FINAL INTERROGATION FOR INJURY ONE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Final interrogation for the injury of Hajime! I'll be posting the the prelude to murder interrogations next week Sunday.
> 
> Enjoy! ^_^ And keep voting(if it's on here or on the Amino App)!

In Pursuit of the Truth! Final Interrogation!

Account: Nagito Komaeda

Timeline: Day 1 to Day 4

Given Alibis: 2(Chiaki disproved one, so he’s down to 1 now)

People who have interacted with this character: 2?

Pre-Interrogation[FAQ]

As you enter the interrogation room, you meet your first suspect again: Nagito Komaeda. He greets you happily, as if he is unaware of the situation. He does seem to have his memory wiped as he outlined before. You greet him back, introducing yourself. Nagito appears to look around the room a bit before giving you a cold-hearted look. Were people this predictable—if someone got their memory from an event was shredded, would it happen again just like so?

“Do you know how high the stakes right now?”

“Yes, for the most part.”

“It’s not that I don’t trust your abilities at all. I just doubt you know the full concept of why you’re here.”

“Don’t give me more backtalk! I know what I’m doing.”

“Hajime I bet? Or should I use his other name, Izuru? I get that you are kind of our aid here, but that isn’t why I’m ok with it in the first place.”

“Oh, how did you know?”

“Let’s save that question for another interrogation. Anyway, let me explain to how your things will work. Sure, you have the power to interrogate. Asks questions outside the school environment.  But, once Hajime receives your notes, there are some things he may refuse as fact. You’ll need to keep things in mind when getting information: you need to persuade Hajime to believe your notes and then the entire class. Fail one and the other goes right out the window.”

You think about this bit once more. You recall Nagito saying something similar the first time you had interrogated him. You feel a bit nervous that Nagito is the one to knock Hajime unconscious. Would Nagito really be such a loose cannon? But, for now, more relaying similar words so Nagito can walk right into being caught into a lie.

“I’m sure it’ll be easy. I just need to lay down the facts and he’ll understand it perfectly.”

“There’s a particular order to the art of persuasion that’s easiest for most to stomach. Ethos, Logos, and Pathos.  The words derive from Aristoteles “ingredients for persuasion”. Everyone likes to make appeals or claims—each segment of PEL(Pathos Ethos Logos) codifies the appeal into a specific category. Pathos stands for an appeal to emotion, a way of convincing an audience by generating an emotional response. Logos is an appeal to logic, persuading an audience by reason. Ethos is an appeal to ethics, a means to convince someone of valor or credibility by the persuader. Most cases, in injury and murder, you want to have a mixture of these types in hand. Some cases may require more appeals of one type than others. You should understand this, right?”

“If you students are falling victim to despair, killing each other, it doesn’t help me save you. I’ll keep losing you until the despair takes over. I thought my goal here was to prevent the deaths from happening.”

“*Scoffs* The person running this thing probably already is aware we’re going to kill each other, but doesn’t want to make it outright. But that’s beside the point. All that I want to make sure of is that our help is aware of the mechanics of this thing. You’ll want to appeal to more than just the logical solution; we’re young but not as sharp as a detective. We feel more than we think usually.”

“Fine, Fine. You must enjoy hearing yourself talk.”

“…Sure. Let’s get on with it.”

Transcript of interrogation:

“So, where were you during the time Hajime went missing?”

“I dunno, with Sonia maybe? The first day we got here, Hajime and I ended up resting the first day. On the 2nd day, I went ahead of Hajime to explore. Since I wanted to get a recap of what the group did earlier, I knocked on Nekomarus’ room first since he was the closest. I knocked a few times but Nekomaru never came to the door. I decided to try Sonias’ door then. She let me in and we discussed what we found. That took about an hour. Then I decided to check up on Hajime and he was already gone.”

“Instead of worrying, I decided that he may have went to search the school on his own. It wasn’t until the middle of the 3rd day that I got worried since everyone I talked to said they hadn’t seen him. It was the middle of the 3rd day when Monokuma found Hajime in the Sauna crammed into one of the stalls. Of course, he didn’t officially announce Hajime as missing or found until he could confirm Hajime was still alive. And, well, I’m just as shocked as everyone else right now.”

“And the reason why you didn’t reach out earlier is because…?”

“Because I didn’t want to intrude on his life. I know living with a roommate can be a bother sometimes. I didn’t want to pressure him back into the room if he felt overwhelmed. Besides, I’m sure Hajime could get buddy buddy with some of the girls around here!”

“So how long do you think Hajime was stuffed into the Sauna stall for?” 

“Who knows? Anything else you’d like to know?”

. . .

“How was Hajimes’ mood the day he went missing?”

“Hajime, he was doing well last I recall.”

“I’ve been watching your security cameras, cut the crap.”

“If you were watching the cameras, I wouldn’t be the main suspect. I was obviously out of the room the moment Hajime was attacked.”

“And you are positive of that because…?"

“Because I wasn’t the one to hurt him! I had no motive to. We were roommates.”

“You walked out on him in silence this morning. I’ve watched enough to see you and Hajime cuddle in your sleep. And you comb Hajimes hair. And you pull him closer in your sleep during your nightmares.”

“…So? I-I mean, we weren’t on the best of terms but that doesn’t mean I had a vendetta out for Hajime. It must have been close to △12:30△ or so when I left and started doing the things I outlined before!”

“You said 12:30pm? And you are positive?”

“Yes! 12:30PM! And then I knocked on Nekomarus door, waited, got no response…I walked over to Sonias’ door, talked for about an hour, and I checked on Hajime at 1:30pm roughly.”

“△12:30△ is quite a particular time to choose. Especially since…*tap, crack. Slight pause*…”

(Recorded voice of Nagito) “Well, it’s almost noon, we’re really hungry, and I highly doubt the worst-case scenario would ensure. Besides, if Hajime can only be my boyfriend in this room, I’d like to maximize that as much as possible!”

“…*blush*…Touché. I am guilty of saying that line. Guess you pointed out about half an hour of free time for me to, well, be the assailant. But I clearly left the room if you are watching our security cameras. You said it yourself: I was silent and exited the room. ”

“Well, why were you quiet?”

“I was quiet because I didn’t want to tell Hajime anything. All I want to do is entertain, please, and help Hajime. Nothing more.”

“Ok then…well, with this new timeline you coaxed yourself into, what were you doing in those 30 minutes between noon and 12:30pm?”

“I was getting food I think—I forgot about it because I couldn’t really find much.”

“And did you run into any other students during that time?”

“No, wait, I think…I think I saw Chiaki leave her room around that time. I think it was around 12:15 or so. She looked like she was in a hurry.”

“Fifteen minutes isn’t that long of a time to go searching for food.”

“So? I wasn’t even that hungry.”  

“Why didn’t you try and speak with Chiaki when you saw her?”

“I was under the impression she was off somewhere, she was walking kind of fast too. Maybe △she’s the one you should be interrogating instead of me? △ *laugh*”

“How about we move to the next bit? From what I see from the cameras, there isn’t much space underneath in the Sauna stalls besides for someone to sit down in the innermost portion. The dressing room has even smaller cubbies for clothing.  Monokuma said Hajime was found underneath there?”

“Yup. △Anyone you talk to will say that.△ We had a meeting reviewing the state that Hajimes’ body was found in.”

“I think the space in the Sauna drawers are a bit small for Hajimes’ stature, don’t you think?”

“I think there would be more Monokuma would add to the story if anyone really questioned it. Maybe covered by a pile of towels? Curled his body into a ball? I dunno, why are you asking me to doubt the guy who neither of us trust in the first place?”

“I just find it strange that no one questioned it. Didn’t you guys search the entire school by the end of the 2nd day?”

“I mean—er yeah—but. Not everyone looked in every room though. That was what the 3rd day was for. The people who searched the Sauna from what Sonia told me were △Chiaki, Mikan, and Teruteru△. None of them had issue with what Monokuma said.”

“Interesting. Well, for the most part, you’ve been cooperative. I appreciate your help.  But, now, I must break this contradiction you’ve outlined in your account.”

“…What F/N? You’re accusing me, out of everyone, of lying? What type of evidence do you even have to disprove anything I just said? △It’s pretty clear I had nothing to do with this case and was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. △”

“△According to Chiaki, you were at the right place at the right time. At 12:15pm, she sighted you returning to your room on her way to the gym. I saw visual proof. There’s no mistaking it. △”

“What? How can she, what is she…interesting? And I thought we couldn’t use recording devices.”

A strange black and white bear pops up, laughing at the edge of the table. He takes a seat. And you thought this ground was safe from such an idiotic bear.

“Oh, you’re right Mr. Komaeda, no one is supposed to have recording abilities. In fact, your fellow classmate deserves a punishment for just choosing to do that! Buuut, I guess I’ll be lenient and just throw that into the rules now. Technically she hadn’t been breaking any rule. This is getting good!”

Monokuma, just as quickly as he appeared, steps off into the darkness of the room. You begin to sweat profusely as a few bits of jagged memories return to you. You…are here…because…?

“Anyway, guess you called me out. That means I need to be truthful, right? I admit it; I played a role in getting Hajime into his coma. But I wasn’t the one who actually *knocked* him out.”

“Then who did?”

“I’m not sure.”

“I know from someone that △Ibuki, Byakuya, Akane, Nekomaru, Sonia, Kazuichi, Mikan, and Fuyuhiko were also located in the hallway at the time you re-entered the room. △ You weren’t alone, I know that, and there’s something you’re not telling me still.”

“So? What do people standing around in a hallway have to do with me knowing who knocked out Hajime?”

“It has everything to do with it.”

“Fine, ok, I get it. I’m top suspect because I decide I want to check up on the guy I love. To make sure he’s…safe. That no one harms him. Tell me, L/N, what would you do to protect a loved one?”

Flashes of your reason to be here come before your eyes. You realize something…he has her. The next heir to the Kirigiri throne is stuck here, and that’s why you are truly here. You space out for a few minutes, considering the possibilities. You feel a bit less sweaty but much more tense.

“T-That isn’t the question right now! I am asking you who do you think knocked Hajime out? Were they…threatening to kill Hajime? Was your only option at that point to give into their demands and let them hurt him?”

There’s silence now. You look at Nagito, who appears to have a vacant stare to the floor. You want to help the man, but you are unsure of how. The memory of your cousin being held up somewhere is still blaring in some section of your brain. But no; if she had been here, she would yell for you to focus. She would get upset that you were starting to let this case fall through your fingertips. And, before you can speak more to pressurize the case, Nagito takes a look over at you.

“Listen, if it was between me killing Hajime and someone else ending him, I’d be furious but choose the former! If anyone is going to kill the Ultimate Hope, it’s going to be me! But, △those girls△ were insistent about starting up despair in the group! And, well, since it was to bring out the greatest hope in a hopeless situation, how can I refuse?”

…This boy is clearly twisted by some sort of nature. You’re not sure who is pulling the strings behind his façade, but his constant mood swings indicate either mental illness or someone very intelligent brainwashing his thoughts.

“Who are these girls? I need names, to add to this case of violence. Otherwise, I won’t hesitate to put your name on there.”

You pray Nagito doesn’t call your bluff.

“Hah, and let the class tear me to pieces over something I didn’t do? As fun as that sounds, I think the two others involved would convince the rest to vote me guilty. I guess I should just tell you all I know. ”

A D V A N C E ! ! !

“As you know, Hajime and I had something of a fight at the morning of the 2nd day. At around noon I decided to leave him be because, well, I got tired of his constant passive aggressive bullshit. As I was leaving toward the kitchen, △Sonia pulled me into her room as a sort of power play I guess△? When I tried to explain that I was hungry, △she shushed me with a knife△. She threatened to kill someone unless I followed some sort of plan. I knew if anyone other than Hajime would be the victim of an injury, it was likely someone would kill them outright. I don’t really care enough about the others here to defend them as much as I defend Hajime. I suggested the plan of having Hajime be the victim and potentially the first death. Sonia was overjoyed by the idea and that’s about the time when Mikan came out from Sonias’ bathroom.”

“They both were overwhelmingly annoying. Kept asking me for advice so, naturally, I gave it to them. △The weirdest thing was that an outfit Sonia was wearing at the island was hanging up on her bathroom doorway, as well as a plush of Monokuma. Either one of them have excellent sewing skills or they found the items somewhere. △ The entire exchange took about fifteen minutes. Then they demanded me to take Hajimes keycard so they would be able to go into the room and do their despair job. My only request was that I’d be there to verify they wouldn’t kill him. I…care for Hajime a lot, you know? But I care about the group staying as cohesive as possible too. △That day, at approximately 12:30pm, Sonia and Mikan went behind my back and knocked Hajime out cold. △”

“I know it had to be around 12:30pm since that was around the time I finally got to get something to eat. Coming back to meet with Sonia was the most painful thing. There was another person there besides Mikan, △Nekomaru△. He had been convinced that we needed to look as thoroughly as possible. I agreed, though only half heartily. I wanted to search with Sonia but Mikan and her had other plans.  I was worried about Hajime the entire time until he ended up in the Sauna. Now I need to be there when he needs me the most, when he first wakes up. I have to protect him so they don’t end up making him the first victim!”

You hadn’t seen Nagito this passionate, not on the recording screens or in the past interrogation. You are struggling to keep up with taking notes as Nagito went on his long tangent to explain the gritty details. Part of something still bugs you though; why would Nagito lie about not being involved? Sure, his initial statement of being in the wrong place at the wrong time sounds accurate now, but why was he giving such pushback?     

“Well, thanks for being moderately helpful. This will help me solve the case. But, a couple of things trouble me Nagito.  One; why did you have to drag out not knowing all of this until now? Two; between Sonia and Mikan, who do you think dealt the blow?”

“…I had no idea things would escalate this far. I was going to play it by ear at the class council, nudge everyone to the right direction. But I realized I’d be outnumbered by those infected with despair. And, if I were to be suspected so badly, I’d lose the trust of Hajime…and I never want that to happen again.”

Silence. Five minutes. Noted.

“And, as far as who dealt the blow, I’m not sure. △Mikan surely would have had the medical knowledge of how to knock someone into a coma that painlessly, but could’ve directed Sonia into doing it. △ All I know is △whoever knocked Hajime out probably had residue of blood or his DNA spill onto their clothes. △ Do you have any other questions for me, F/N L/N?”

“No, thank you for your time. I will need to submit a person to flag down as misbehaving soon. I’m glad it won’t end up being you.”

“Sure.”

BONUS!:

“Hey, F/N? Before you go?”

“Yeah?”

“…Can you not watch me and Hajimes’ personal room camera anymore? Aren’t you convinced now that we won’t hurt each other?”

“Well, as much as I’d like to believe that, I can’t turn a blind eye on you for that reason. Especially with the nature of how this case went.”

Nagito approaches you, whispering in your ear.

“Well, what if I told you something about the whereabouts of your lost cousin?”

 You stay silent and nod.

“She’s here, somewhere in the school. I think he has plans to use her in the killing game but I’m not sure how yet.”

You nod some more, smiling a bit. Maybe your familys’ namesake would be found safe. Nagito pulls away from your ear, seeming to smile and act careless of his previous words.

“And that’s all the perverted stuff I plan to do to Hajime when he wakes up!”

A blush immediately covers your face. What type of underhanded—then you recall. He’s always watching.

“Er—uh, *cough*. Thanks for the…notice.”

“Your welcome.”

. . . .

Your Choices:

1->[ Create Truth  Bullet: C h I a k I s A c c o u n t]* ✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓ (40) [WINNER]

2->[ Create Truth Bullet: H A L L W A Y ? ]* ✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓ (34)[WINNER]

3->[ Create Truth Bullet:  H A J I M E  D A Y 2?] ✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓ (18)

4->[ Use Truth Bullet: {D a y 2, 1 2 : 1 5 P M }]*✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓(35)[WINNER]

5->[ Use Truth Bullet: T I M E & S I G H T ? ] ✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓(11)

 ** _Right combo_** : 〓〓〓

Ok combos: 〓〓〓

Wrong combo(result in failure): 〓〓〓

  * * = A03 Vote
  * ^ = quotev Vote
  * ✓ = Danganronpa amino vote



Missed Choice: H A J I M E D A Y 2, T I M E & S I G H T

Missed opportunity for: nothing, gained bonus scene!  When the correction sequence of choices is made, it unlocks a bonus scene to help you (and Hajime) crack the cases surrounding the school and the lives lost. There is a worse ending that could have occurred, with Monokuma forcing the investigation to end early for plot reasons. Good job voters!

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who do you want to recommend to Hajime for who knocked him unconscious?:
> 
> -Sonia
> 
> -Nagito(if you don’t trust what Nagito has said so far)
> 
> -Mikan
> 
> -Nekomaru
> 
> -Chiaki


	24. The Jolly Knife {Deadly Life} II - Chapter Sixteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the hour delay in getting this out to you guys! It's about to start getting interesting for this lovely story! ^_^ 
> 
> Voting for the interrogations are open from now(Sunday Oct. 15th, 2017) until (Saturday, Oct. 21st, 10pm central time). Please either vote on here or in the polls I'll be posting on the Danganronpa amino app shortly. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy! Our little 'prelude' will show how to vote for who our five lovely interrogatees are going to be. I'd like some feedback on the voting system once I post it. 
> 
> Anyway, again, enjoy!

I woke up to the sensation of Nagito kissing my lips. I immediately blushed and tried to move away, but Nagitos' lips had other plans. My eyes barely had enough time to focus on Kazuichi, who seemed to be in a rush to leave the room.

 

“I-I’ll go tell the others you woke up!” Kazuichi said to me, making quick eye contact before bursting out of the Infirmary door. Maybe we made him feel unwelcomed.

 

The moment the door closed back up, Nagitos lips moved from mine to my neck. I used my left arm to prey him off of me, but, his touch was as electrifying as ever.

 

"Mm-rmm, we need--uhh," I tried to verbalize urgency, but Nagitos lips began to slip onto my face again. I decided to give in for a few minutes, leaning back in the infirmary stretcher. Our arms began to wrap around each other, lips poking around the others body.

 

Nagito pulled away after a few minutes, flushed with his arms crossed.

 

"I kept you safe. Our classmates aren't to be trusted anymore. It's only a matter of time before the first kill happens. Promise me, we'll do this together," Nagito said abruptly, taking my right hand. His body repositioned itself, kneeling onto the ground.

 

My stare moved from him to the floor. The memories had to be fake. The Nagito in front of me...could he? Would he kill me for amusement?

 

"Only if you confirm one thing. Did Monokuma knock me out?" I asked, the stupid bear being the last image in my brain. Nagito shook his head, laughing a bit. Part of his face was always hard to read. When Nagito got happy, face semi-red and eyes nervously escaping my own, it’s difficult to discern if he’d been lying. I needed Nagito to be honest with me and my memories. Perhaps that's what everyone in this damned school needs right now: to be honest with themselves. Nagito proceeded to stand up, scanning my body.

 

"Don't be silly. Monokuma wouldn't hurt you. It was probably Sonia or Mikan. Both of them have...issues with me," Nagito said, his eyes drifting to the closed door of the infirmary. My eyes moved there too. I felt nervous about what was to come now. If that wasn't Monokuma staring at me back then, who was it?

 

"I could've sworn that after you left, for one you wouldn't want to speak with me again and that Monokuma popped up out of nowhere. Like out of the wall or something," I added. Memories were starting to become doubtful. Life was starting to crumble. What was reality? Nagito squeezed my shoulder a bit, his other hand pressed against my forehead.

 

"And, if you had to assume, which wall did it come from?" Nagito asked, his hands doing other simple body check-ups. I shrugged at his answer, sighing. His hands made quick work of the back loop of my hospital gown, easily opening it. In normal times I’d object, but, what was the worst that could happen? To be truthful, I missed this affectionate side of Nagito in my slumber.

 

"Most thoughts around that time were riddled with memory recollection and bad headaches. If I had to recall now, I think it was the wall opposite to the bed. Monokuma did seem off and too kind. He said the weirdest thing to me," I said, leaning any which way to assist Nagito in his arbitrary checkup, "I remember him saying...'I’m just here to jog your memory about something. And, in advance, good luck'...what could that have meant?"

 

Nagito seemed to have paused his next inspection of my chest. His fingertips were grazing my lower collarbone. His eyes seem to become demurer. His face turned sour, his smile into a frown. Both of his hands shifted onto my bare back, stroking it in a circular motion.

 

"Ah. Well, that leaves a lot to be desired. Maybe then...Hajime. If a murder does happen soon, we need to be some of the first people there. I think I know what's happening but I need to investigate," Nagito said, looking down at me with a grim face, "And you'll be there for me no matter what?"

 

Why was Nagito sounding so unsure about where he stood with me? I would be there for him, given Nagito wasn't setting me or anyone else up. Nagito has already shown his dedication to feeding me lies and affection. How would we get down to the truth of any case if he kept denying me the truth I deserve?

 

"I...I'll try. But you gotta promise me something," I said, blushing a bit as Nagito laid his head in my chest. His hands, underneath my hospital gown, held me close.

 

"What is it?" Nagito asked in a whisper, his tongue leaving small trails of saliva on my chest.

 

"I, maybe not now but someday, want to learn about my past fully. Realize what I've done. Could you help me with that," I asked Nagito, his lips heading toward my neck. It was probably his own way of ignoring my question. I jerked back a bit, shaking my head as Nagito tried to go back to whatever faux health inspection.

 

"...Sure. But it must be after all of this. We're not going to be able to function the way we need to if we regain every single memory. I promise that at least, someday when we're free of this despair. One day where we'll be relaxing somewhere without needing to defend ourselves or our classmates.  When it’s just. Well. Us," Nagito replied, returning his lips to my shoulder. I used my hand to run through Nagitos’ head, gently grabbing onto it. I proceeded to pull at Nagitos’ hair until, quite grumpily, he pulled back from my body. I gave a winsome smile to Nagito as he seemed grumpy that we needed to move onto more pressing matters.

 

“Well, for now, we should go talk with the others. I don’t think the first murder will happen that quickly. I mean, when you think about me, I’ve probably only been out for a day or so,” I said, trying to tie my hospital gown back on. I couldn’t lose sight of hope. Nagito, after taking a peak over at the Infirmary door, straddled me on the stretcher I was laid up in. This caught me by surprise, and when I went in to wrestle Nagito from me, he gripped either of my shoulders tightly. His eyes were covered by his messy hair.

 

“You haven’t promised me you’ll stay by my side though. We can’t leave until you do that,” Nagito said to me in a lower tone, his face coming toward mine.

“Shouldn’t that be obvious by now?” I asked, a larger grin forming on my face. Though the smile I was forming was out of a compromise, I needed an ally right now. If we ended up killing each other or not, I needed to survive. Because, once I get done surviving here, I’ll finally be able to do what Nagito and I promised we’d do once we exit the simulation.

We’ll watch the world burn.

*

Kazuichi’s POV

Oh god—I gotta go faster! I ran into the kitchen where I saw Ibuki putting up the last of the cookware. TeruTeru was washing his hands before his head turned to me.

“He-ya! Welcome back,” Ibuki greeted, bowing, but I shook my head really fast. Come on, faster, faster! Words, leave my mouth faster! Quit being the coward you’re used to, Kazuichi.   


“S-Sonia has been hurt! Someone beat her up bad! Please follow me!” I said as quick as I could, watching TeruTeru and Ikubi exchange worried looks. They followed behind me as we exited the kitchen, running into Byakuya. Byakuya seemed to have noticed us in a hurry, using his flabby figure to block the dining halls exit.

“What are you guys in such a rush to do? It’s—” Byakuya started to say, but there wasn’t a moment to waste! I needed to save Sonia!

“Sonias’ beat up bad! Someone hurt her, let’s go!” I said to Byakuya, who after hearing my words, turned around and made a beeline to Sonias’ dorm room.  I wanted to be the one Sonia saw first when we got back, but since the situation demands such, I’ll gladly have Byakuya be a leader. As long as Sonia would recognize my swift good deeds, everything should be fine.

We hadn’t managed to run into anyone else in the hallway as we neared Sonias’ room. I could feel my heart beat faster with every step we took. Her old uniform was still holding the door ajar, its materials seeming much flatter than it had been before. Wait—did someone—no! Byakuya noticed the smashed clothes contents and kneeled low. Oh gloves—how overdramatic! I was pretty sure no one would blame Byakuya for anything if he got his prints on there. Byakuya began to run his fingers through the uniform clothes slowly, as if trying to waste time!

Byakuya, while he was a good leader of the sorts, had been doing more inspecting than helping! He was trying to observe the material on the ground for a solid fifteen seconds. Sonia must be in agonizing pain right now!

“Move Byakuya! We’ll look at the uniform later,” I demanded, slamming my first against Sonias’ cracked door. This made the door slam to an open. Byakuya gave me an annoyed glare.

“If we’re to figure out who hurt Sonia, we must pay attention to the tiny details. Otherwise we won’t get any—” Byakuya began his “lecture”, but I was starting to get antsy. I pounded my feet against the floor, tears streaming from my eyes. I couldn’t wait this long. I didn’t want to lose Sonia—I didn’t want to disappoint her or the request I had been given. I wanted Sonia to know that I loved her very much. And, if bringing a few of our friends together to take care of her was the best I could get to that, well, I ‘m going to do my best at it!

“Move! Let’s check on Sonia first!” I said in an irritable growl. I could hear TeruTeru and Ibuki shuffle behind me, mentioning something about knocking on the everyones’ doors.

“Well, from the tone of voice you’re using, I don’t think you want to wait for me to analyze this. You, TeruTeru, and Ibuki go ahead. I’ll only be a minute more. I just…don’t get it,” Byakuya said, sounding defeated when he should be rushing! The moment Byakuyas’ body cleared the entryway, I rushed into the room again, heading directly to the bathroom.

“Taylooooor SWIFT!” screeched out TeruTeru as he saw Sonias’ body lying in the bathroom.

“Oh no, oh my!” Ibuki said, I could hear her body fall to the floor. I took a quick glance at her body, foam coming from her mouth. Oh, it’s one of her episodes. I hoped she’d come to soon. But no—first—making sure Sonia is okay!

I turned to face Sonias’ body lying in the floor once more. I approached her, kneeling to her level.  Her eyes, vacant and one half out of socket, seemed…lifeless. My hands shivered as it approached her hand. Wait—a bracelet—where have I seen that before? My hands gingerly plucked at Sonias’ wrist to read a pulse or whatever nurses do. But…there was no movement. No beat or pleasant humming. Not another word left the closed, chapped lips of Sonia Nevermind. Sonia was dead.

“I know this isn’t much right now, but I’m working as hard as I can. This uniform doesn’t match Sonias’—” Byakuya began to say before he gasped aloud at the sight of the body.

_Ding dong._

_Bing bong._

I could hear the screen flicker on in Sonias’ bedroom.

“Ahem! This is an official announcement to the students of Hope Peaks’ Academy! A body has been discovered! And yep, you guessed it, it’s a dead body. D-E-A-D. Not alive—no longer existing and no longer with us on this plane of existence! After some time passes, a class council will begin. Please begin your investigations immediately if you want a chance of solving this doozy!” Monokuma announced, his grating voice blaring from the television to the speakers.  I gripped my head in attempt to cope with this harsh reality.

Someone killed my princess.


	25. ƤŘ€ŁỮĐ€ ŦØ Đ€ŞƤΔƗŘ! ΜΔҜ€ ¥ØỮŘ ĆĦØƗĆ€Ş! - Chapter 16.5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annnd here's the voting portion of the murder interrogations. Please give me feedback in the comments and feel free to ask for clarification if something doesn't make sense to you. As I said before, if you have a good argument for voting for more than one person in a category, I'll let it happen!!
> 
> Thanks for reading!!

You are in disbelief that a murder has occurred. As you were engrossed with the previous documentation for who Hajimes’ assailant was, a student has been killed. It scares you that the first kill happened before the end of the first week in the new environment. You begin to worry that this entire gathering was meant to start a new killing game. This would be a repeat of that same event (expect the mastermind likely wouldn’t lose a hand any time soon).

Several papers are stuffed underneath your room door. You attempt to catch a peak at who keeps giving you all these documents, but they always seem to be especially careful as to not reveal who they could be. There isn’t even a chance for you to see their hand or any sort of skin.

The papers that were pushed into your office appear to be laminated and have typed lettering on them. You start with the infamous Monokuma file.

The first portion of the file shows a picture of the murder scene and victim. Sonia Nevermind, a suspect you never got to interrogate, lies in the shower. Her hair is wet and so is everything else on her body. Strange purpleish colors come from the current wounds she has. Bruises are sustained along her arms and legs, as well as a bashing wound on her head. Worst of all, the oddity of all wounds, one of her eyeballs lay hanging from her eye. After reviewing the state of the murdered body, you proceed to read the cause of death notes.

“The victim is Sonia Nevermind, the Ultimate Princess.

Her body was discovered in her dorm room at approximately 10:30pm*. The time of death is unknown.

There are multiple bashing wounds and signs of a struggle displayed with her clothing and wounds.

Although the time of death is unknown, it is likely that most of the wounds inflicted occurred before the victim managed to pass away.

*Note- the body discovery timeline goes from when at least 3 students not involved in the murder case discover the body."

You jot down notes as fast as you can, determined to find the killer. As you barely have a grasp on who has injured Hajime, this will be a daunting task. Per the rules given to you by the mastermind of this place, you can interrogate up to five students regarding the murders. After, you must submit your notes to Hajime and…well, watch it play out. Part of you feels nervous about who to contact, but another part of you knows you can figure it out! You recall the tool your great grandfather used in times of disarray like this with so many potential suspects abound. TAMA had been the acronym he used when he knew the exact number of suspects. It was a tool passed along in the family to account for all suspects and also put them in a category (from most to least suspicious). Although your great grandfather coined it as an imperfect method with most cases, you find it relevant and useful for this particular one. You recall how to narrow down the suspects, and how TAMA works.

**Your objective is to get ONE student in the T category, and hopefully, everyone in the 2nd ‘A’ category (A for Alibi). While you may end up with some people stuck in the 1st A(Around the area), if you manage to get only one person in the T category, you should have a good candidate for the class council!**

  * Each interrogation you complete will move at least one character from one area to another
  * For the best impact, you should interrogate at least one student from each category
  * Interrogating a student twice is not especially useful for moving another student to a different area, but can help you gain more actual information of the case in rare circumstances.
  * (((OOC: Even though it may seem painfully obvious who the murderer is, be sure to not cast your vote too early. This case(Case 2, Murder 1) is going to be especially interesting. There are currently four different type of endings you could get, one being the ‘true’ ending. I have a very clear idea of how the story will be impacted based on how you guys interact with the story!)



Who do you want to interrogate for the murder of Sonia Nevermind?:

**T-O-P S-U-S-P-E-C-T-S:**

-Kazuichi Souda(claimed to be the first to discover the body, states she was alive when he last saw her)

-Gundham Tanaka(blood from the crime scene matches Gundham, weapon found at scene has fingerprints).

**A-R-O-U-N-D T-H-E A-R-E-A:**

-Nekomaru Nidai(claimed to be ‘taking a shit’ around the time Sonia may have been killed)

-Akane Owari(claimed to be in her room ‘showering’ around the time Sonia may have been killed)

-Mikan Tsukimi(claims to have been attacked by Chiaki Nanami around the time Sonia may have been killed)

-Mahiru Koizumi (claims to be in cahoots with Chiaki Nanami, taking pictures of the fight between Mikan and Chiaki)

-Hiyoko Saionji (claims to be in cahoots with Chiaki Nanami, tagging along with Mahiru for ‘serious emotional support’)

-Chiaki Nanami(claimed to be in the Sauna with Mahiru and Hiyoko)

**M-I-S-S-I-N-G I-N A-C-T-I-O-N:**

Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu (claimed to be with Peko, searching the 3rd floor in-depth)

Peko Pekoyama (claimed to be with Fuyuhiko, searching the 3rd  floor in-depth)

Byakuya Togami (claimed to be analyzing intel received from others regarding where they were when Hajime could have been hurt)

**A-L-I-B-I’s?:**

-Nagito Komaeda (claims to be with Hajime Hinata when he woke up)

-Hajime Hinata(woke up at the time of the body discovery)

-Ibuki Mioda (working with TeruTeru to clean up the kitchen)

-TeruTeru Hanamura (giving Ibuki ‘the business’ in the kitchen)

 

You sigh, knowing that the dumb bear likely took quotes from the students the moment the body discovery had been made. But, what else could be done? There needed to be some sort of story to start out. As you read over the last couple pages of information, one thing catches your eye. A crumbled piece of paper is underneath the rest of the stack. You gently tug and see that it is a crude map of the dorm assignments. Next to this map reads, “S o m e t I m e s t h e t r u t h h u r t s ” in bold letters appearing to be stamped on by some sort of stamper…you find this strange and pin it on your wall for easy reference. Who could’ve sent that in with the rest of the info? You also notice some text specifying room arrangements.

You shake your head, frustrated with Monokuma adding more rules. It seems like Monokuma is actively trying to make your job worse. On top of previous rules, you must now select ALL of your interrogation personnel right away.   

Per the last page of the rules, “Due to the nature of how quickly a class council must occur after a murder, please select all of your candidates at one time. You will be limited to an hour each for interrogations, and once they have been completed, you must submit your notes immediately after the last interrogation with a recommendation of a killer. Happy findings.” You are tempted to rip the paper to shreds but know you must keep the paper for your records.

Only one thing rests in your mind now: Who to interrogate?

((OOC: This is how voting will work! It is recommended that you vote for one person per category, but if you explain why you’re choosing multiple for a category, I’ll let you vote that way. I’ll have the polls up for the voting of each section shortly after this is posted. Good luck everyone!))

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An example of how interrogation voting can go if you're commenting and not voting on the app:   
> T-O-P S-U-S-P-E-C-T-S:
> 
> -Kazuichi Souda(claimed to be the first to discover the body, states she was alive when he last saw her) (vote!)
> 
> -Gundham Tanaka(blood from the crime scene matches Gundham, weapon found at scene has fingerprints).
> 
> A-R-O-U-N-D T-H-E A-R-E-A:
> 
> -Nekomaru Nidai(claimed to be ‘taking a shit’ around the time Sonia may have been killed) (vote!)
> 
> -Akane Owari(claimed to be in her room ‘showering’ around the time Sonia may have been killed) 
> 
> -Mikan Tsukimi(claims to have been attacked by Chiaki Nanami around the time Sonia may have been killed)
> 
> -Mahiru Koizumi (claims to be in cahoots with Chiaki Nanami, taking pictures of the fight between Mikan and Chiaki)
> 
> -Hiyoko Saionji (claims to be in cahoots with Chiaki Nanami, tagging along with Mahiru for ‘serious emotional support’)
> 
> -Chiaki Nanami(claimed to be in the Sauna with Mahiru and Hiyoko)
> 
> M-I-S-S-I-N-G I-N A-C-T-I-O-N:
> 
> Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu (claimed to be with Peko, searching the 3rd floor in-depth) (vote)
> 
> Peko Pekoyama (claimed to be with Fuyuhiko, searching the 3rd floor in-depth)
> 
> Byakuya Togami (claimed to be analyzing intel received from others regarding where they were when Hajime could have been hurt)
> 
> A-L-I-B-I’s?:
> 
> -Nagito Komaeda (claims to be with Hajime Hinata when he woke up)
> 
> -Hajime Hinata(woke up at the time of the body discovery)
> 
> -Ibuki Mioda (working with TeruTeru to clean up the kitchen) (vote) 
> 
> -TeruTeru Hanamura (giving Ibuki ‘the business’ in the kitchen)


	26. The Jolly Knife {Deadly Life} Investigation I - Chapter Seventeen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty, a lot of stuff to be said for this chapter! I'm trying a different type of storytelling method. I made DnD character sheets for all of the students and for most of the actions you see in this chapter, they were based off of rolls for their characteristics(and some cases saves for high stress situations. Let me know what you think of this in the comments or comment in the amino app(depending on where you decide to read/leave feedback).
> 
> It will take me some time to get all four investigations up, but they should be up before the end of the day today. Enjoy! Also, if you're interested in what events were rolled and what the results were, I'll post them in the notes at the end. 
> 
> Edit: If you're feeling super lucky, feel free to vote for who killed Sonia now. Technically, there won't be enough evidence to find the true killer until next chapter, BUT, here are your options:
> 
> -Kazuichi  
> -Chiaki  
> -Gundham  
> -Mikan  
> -Akane
> 
> Thanks for reading!

Ding dong.

Bing bong.

I could hear a screen flicker on nearby. My eyes were immediately drawn to it, sickened by Monokumas seemingly cheerful disposition. This wouldn’t be good.

“Ahem! This is an official announcement to the students of Hope Peaks’ Academy! A body has been discovered! And yep, you guessed it, it’s a dead body. D-E-A-D. Not alive—no longer existing and no longer with us on this plane of existence! After some time passes, a class council will begin. Please begin your investigations immediately if you want a chance of solving this doozy!” Monokuma announced, his grating voice blaring from the television to the speakers. I held my head. Wasn’t I the one to say the killing wouldn’t start this early?

“This can’t be happening,” I said, burying my head into Nagitos chest. I wrapped my arms around him, shivering. I hadn’t expected anyone to make such a dangerous move so early. Nagito held me tight for several minutes, staying silent. At least Nagito knew sass wouldn’t help me out at a time like this.

“I…I don’t know what to do,” I muttered into Nagitos’ chest. I wanted to believe everyone would be complacent in what we had, but, someone was dissatisfied enough to kill someone. Who else would intend to do this besides Monokuma? It can’t be anyone other than him—he was just trying to get us to…hurt each other.

“No use in crying over it, let’s just start investigations already,” Nagito said dryly, pulling at my gown. I stood up, grumbling at him. How could he always seem so poise in situations such as this? What was his secret?  Nagito was always hard to read, especially now as he faced away from me. Perhaps that was the way to look at things: try and find the truth of this terrible situation.

“You can at least act like you’re shocked at this,” I replied to Nagito, putting on some nearby slippers. Nagito hadn’t responded to me, reverting to his usual silent treatment when he was upset. I let out another sigh, kicking at the air. It didn’t take me long to upset the person that’s been by my side all this time.

Suddenly, Monokuma popped up, shaking his paw at us. Steam came from his ears as he flailed his arms about. What was this bear so peeved about?

“Hey! You two! You’re super late! How can we start the investigation proceedings without our man of the hour?” Monokuma said, his face pointed toward me. I winced at his sudden appearance, as if memories were starting to become clearer. I had to remember eventually who was behind all of this. From all the information was I able to gather when I was younger, the pieces were starting to come together. This was no accident.

Nagito took my hand in his, pulling me close. I leaned into his hold, smiling a bit. I squeezed his hand to gain a bit more confidence. I couldn’t let Monokuma bring me down with his anger and despair.  

“I know, we’re on it. But where are we supposed to go? We don’t even know where the dead body is,” I asked.

“Just follow me,” Monokuma said, pushing the Infirmary door and leading us to the body discovery site.

(((OOC: As I mentioned a bit before, I built DnD character builds for each student here. I’ve rolled all their initiatives for students who hadn’t found the body yet to see what order people come in. Those in other rooms that are far away got negative modifiers and such.)))

. . .

As Nagito and I approached the dorm room, numerous students already were present. Chiaki sat outside of the room, staring blankly at space. Mahiru appeared to have been grieving with her eyes, guarding the entry to…Sonias’ room!? Was it—no it could’ve have been—it’s impossible! Sonia, why her of all people, to die so soon? I picked up my pace as I noticed which way we were heading only to be halted by Gundham.

“It’s good, to see you walking around lively…awake…” Gundham said, blocking my passage into Sonias’ room.  I attempted to walk around him, but Gundham continued to block me.

“Why are you…” I said, stopping halfway. We all should have equal access to investigate, although Monokuma didn’t really make that clear perhaps? Reviewing Gundhams’ face in more detail, he was sweating bullets. I haven’t seen his hamsters poking out of the usual shoulders or waist or anywhere…in fact, it had been a while since I saw him walk around with them. Then again I was in a coma for a bit.

Since Nagito and I got closer, I noticed that Chiaki had been sweating profusely. Chiaki had been leaning against her own room door. Everyone seemed to have made such a commitment to being here as soon as possible while I was moping. Nagito had been right; we needed to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible.

“Move it Gundham! The golden boy needs to see the dead boy of Sonia~” Monokuma commanded, a small heart leaving Monokumas’ paw. Ah—so it was Sonia. I cringed and looked toward the floor, unsure of my resolve now. Nagito tugged my hand, taking me further into the cracked dorm room. I wondered how brutal of a death Sonia had to endure.

As we entered Sonias’ room, I noticed an array of bloodstains and broken furniture thrown across the room. Kazuichi was in a corner of the room, crying his eyes out. Byakuya sat on Sonias’ bed, reviewing a female uniform. I noticed Ibuki foaming at the mouth. There were a few select times where Ibuki had a similar disposition about her—usually when the occasional thing shocked her to unconsciousness. It would be without a doubt that Ibuki was one of the first to discover the body.

Nagito pulled away from my side, letting go of my hand as he returned to the rooms’ entrance. As I was going to ask why he did such, Monokuma appeared dead center of my vision.

As I stumbled back a bit, I caught my footing and narrowed my eyes at the bear. I wonder if some days he just freaks us out for his own amusement.

“What is it,” I asked the bear as he extended a black-and-white folder towards me.

“It’s the Monokuma file~. It gives you some information on how your friend Sonia met her tragic end. I’ll give you a hint too. The person who knocked you unconscious is _directly responsible_ for this death,” Monokuma announced as Mikan begins to stumble into the room.  I nodded to the bear (though I took his words with a grain of salt).

“Have fun kids!” Monokuma announced with his infamous cackle, disappearing.

“Thanks, I guess,” I said to the bear passively, opening the file to review its contents. The file read as follows:

““The victim is Sonia Nevermind, the Ultimate Princess.

Her body was discovered in her dorm room at approximately 10:30pm*. The time of death is unknown.

There are multiple bashing wounds and signs of a struggle displayed with her clothing and wounds.

Although the time of death is unknown, it is likely that most of the wounds inflicted occurred before the victim managed to pass away.

*Note- the body discovery timeline goes from when at least 3 students not involved in the murder case discover the body. ”

When I finished reading the text, I immediately was drawn to the bruises and odd colors of some patches for her skin. At first, I thought she may have been beaten to death, but perhaps there was more to it than that? And, most strange of all, Sonia had been wearing the outfit she wore on the island, not her designated uniform. I put the Monokuma file underneath my arm as I glanced over everyone again.  Nagito had moved from his previous location, reviewing the fabrics on the bed now. Kazuichis’ wails were starting to grate on the ears a bit as he just sat in the corner, crying as others were doing the hardwork.

“Hey, could you move Byakuya?” asked Nagito, seeming to observe the fabrics that were on the bed. Byakuya moved almost immediately, keeping a firm grasp on the uniform he had.

“E-E-E-Excuse me H-H-H-Hajime, and e-e-everyone else…I-I-I can do a review of the body to t-t-t-try and g-g-get a b-b-b-better e-e-estimation of the t-t-time of d-d-death…” Mikan said, but her usual nervous tone was…sounding a bit over processed.

“That would be useful, but since I haven’t gotten a chance to review the body myself, is it ok if you hold off on reviewing it?” I asked, giving her a bit of a smile. Even if this was an act, I had to believe in everyone until the very end. Mikan nodded, slipping and falling into one of her grandiose perverted poses. Everyone else in the room seemed quite concerned with the health of Mikan (or  just seeing her exposed camel toe). Me, keeping focus, entered the bathroom to find Sonias’ lifeless body.

The bathroom, much like everything else in the area, was a mess. Numerous items were thrown on the floor, items of every container of liquid seemed to be poured out in such a messy fashion. To contrast with the chaos of the room, Sonias’ body had been placed in the shower elegantly. While this may have been Kazuichis’ doing, part of me doubted it.  Her hands were holding each other tightly.

As I approached Sonias’ body, I noticed the purple gashes on her body were spreading and were much larger than they were in the picture. Keeping my feet just outside of the shower, I pushed my body in as far as I could to review for any small details.

One key detail about the purple wounds had been their proximity to the water Sonia had been wading in. The more large, purple splotches were closer to the water. The purple gashes appear to have tapered off closer to her face. Blood was matted underneath her hair, which could be deduced as a head injury. But, from the amount of blood and Sonias’ position in the shower, there could be a chance that the head injury was not the final blow.

“Hey, we need to get in there too to investigate! We want to make sure we’re not pinned as murderers!” Fuyuhiko shouted from outside of the door. Mahiru must be struggling to keep them at bay while the rest of us investigated.

“Yeah Mahiru, what if the killer is already in there and is tampering with all that damn evidence,” yelled Hiyoko, her scandals making a resounding “cluck” against Sonias’ room wall.

“How about we keep cal—” Mahiru began to say, but others were already cutting her off.

“Who the fuck do you think looks the most suspicious around here? Fuyuhiko and Peko just got here, and the body announcement was like, I dunno, 20 minutes ago!??” Akane belted, the sound of rustling being heard outside. If I had to guess Nekomaru had to come and keep Akane from making a scene.

“I understand that Akane, but you and I both know there’s someone more suspicious than them. Everyone, these rooms are really small, and having all of us in there at once is just going to crowd it up. To do a proper review of the situation, it’s best only to have about five or six of us go in at a time. We should give those in the room currently a few more minutes to finish up, and then, we can draw straws or something to figure out who’s in the next group,” Mahiru reasoned. Her voice sounded a bit less stressed than before.  As I pulled away from the body to review other minute details, I was met with Byakuyas’ burly figure behind me.

“I should probably go out and help with calming everyone down. Finish whatever else you want to look out and give others a chance to review things,” Byakuya suggested, placing a female uniform in my hands, “If you notice what’s wrong with that, then this case will only get more confusing. I found that propping the door open when we first entered the room. I think you can handle this Hajime. On the island you were such a perceptive individual. Don’t let me down.”

I nodded to his words although they were confusing. What was odd about the uniform—obviously it may have been Sonias’ attire before she was murdered. The fit did seem a bit showy for Sonias’ statue, and much larger in the…chest department. This may be the key item needed to solve this case.

“Everyone, keep calm! The remaining people in there will finish their investigations shortly! Any strange behavior will be documented and brought up at the gathering we will have.  Be quiet, patient, and take the notes you feel you need. And, if you’re feeling emotionally unstable—” Byakuya said before being rudely interrupted.

“I AM NOT EMO-O-…TIONAL UNSTABLE!” screamed Kazuichi from the room between sobs. Wow—defensive much? I could hear some of the people holding down laughs from outside. Finally, they were calming down.

“If, you feel you cannot investigate, that is a proper response. A classmate of ours has been killed and that can cause instability and sadness. But, for this to have the best ending, we need to be calm and precise about how we handle the situation,” Byakuya beckoned.

I was just about finished in the bathroom, though I was still baffled by the clothing Sonia had been wearing. Why would anyone choose to redress Sonia this way before killing her? What cruel soul would do this?

I noticed that the wet parts of her dress were made of the same fabric from the island too, not seeming to be that cheap in material. Could Monokuma have gifted her a small luxury like this or did someone make one from scratch? I could hear a bit of a scratchy noise before leaving, but I chalked it up to my own paranoia.

“Hey, let’s exchange intel once the other team comes in here to investigate. This isn’t going to easy,” Nagito said to me, coming out from underneath the bed. I smiled at him as he came by my side.

“L…Leave me be. In this room. I can’t see myself leaving it. I won’t,” Kazuichi mumbled between sobs. My eyes narrowed down at Kazuichi as I noticed he was sobbing into some fabric. It had appeared to be a female uniform, one much different than the damp one Byakuya found.

“Hey, you gotta leave. Other people need to get in here too.” Nagito said to Kazuichi, raising an eyebrow as he likely noticed the article of clothing too.

“I-I-I should stay and r-r-review the b-body,” Mikan stuttered after, seeming to finally get up and come to her senses.  I shook my head at her, Byakuya poking his head in.

“Mikan, since the time of death seems to be the cornerstone on solving this case, you can review the body. But others will be doing some visual check-ups for their own notes. I’m trusting you with this responsibility, don’t squander it,” Byakuya instructed, “everyone else in the room, exit so others can enter.

“Annd information time! Since all of our students are present now, it’s time to give you a quick spiel on how things will work! I’ve hired a reliable investigator to aid the class in figuring out who the killer is. The investigators’ notes will only be viewable by one person however, no other than Hajime Hinata! It’ll be up to you Hajime to use those notes to figure out who the killer is. You’ll always be working to convince your classmates too! And, of course, feel free to use your own findings as well. Once we get to the voting portion of things, there is one more outside opinion to be had! And well…that’s where things get exciting. More information once we get to the class council, so hurry up and finish your investigations,” Monokuma said via the loudspeaker, a number of students making gasps and other surprised motions.

What should I have everyone do? What if someone goes behind our backs and tampers with evidence? Who can I trust?

And why was I the one to be trusted with the investigator evidence?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 17 roll history  
> Hajime emotional reaction to body discovery announcement (higher charisma, more empathy)  
> Hajime: 13(roll)+3(modifier) =16  
> Nagito(using deception, ten to convince, fifteen to aggravate): 14(roll) + 9(modifier) = 23  
> Deduction, was it really one of the students? (18 to recall rules, natural 20 to recall specific rule)  
> Hajime: 6(roll) + 9(investigation modifier) = 15(too panic’d at the disco) 
> 
> Roll for who finds/comes to the body location first:  
> TeruTeru already there  
> Ibuki already there  
> Kazuichi already there  
> Byakuya already there  
> Chiaki 17+3=20 (2)  
> Hiyoko 3+5-3=5(7)  
> Mahiru 20+5-3=22 (1)  
> Mikan 14+3-3=14(5)  
> Akane 19+3=22 (1.5)  
> Fuyuhiko 1(crit fail)+4-5(8)  
> Peko (crit fail)+4(8)  
> Nekomaru 8+2=10(6)  
> Nagito 15+2=17(4)  
> Hajime 16-3=13(4)  
> Gundham 16+3=19(3)  
> Gundham acting…strangely? 15 or higher to activate Insight  
> Hajime: 13+4 = 17(Insight Activated)  
> Entering the room(Nagito+Hajime) 15 or higher to activate investigation early  
> Hajime: Perception check: 4(roll)+ 4(modifier) = 8. (Nothing).  
> Nagito: Perception check: 9(roll) + 6(modifier) = 15. (Investigation activated)  
> Does Ibuki wake up? 15 or higher to wake up  
> Ibuki: Constitution Save 11(roll) + 1 = 12 (Still passed out)  
> Does Hajime fall on his ass? 12 or higher to not be clumsy  
> Hajime20(natural): Stays on feet AND classy  
> Mikan walks in***for next chapter*** 17 to grab item, 20 to grab without being noticed  
> Nagito(sleight of hand attempt): 12(roll) + 5(sleight of hand modifier0 = 17  
> State of the body(Monokuma file review) - 1(I don’t know) 2-10(seems like someone beat her to death) 11-14(there’s gotta be more…) 15+(what’s with the color of her skin?)  
> Hajime: 13(roll) +3 = 16.  
> Mikan(performance in trying to perform an honest “autopsy” 15 to convince, 20 to convince without question)  
> Mikan: 1(crit fail)  
> Hajime(perception): 20(natural 20, more information to be used in the interrogations!)  
> Mikan(performance of “tripping)  
> Mikan: 13(roll) + 7(performance modifier) = 20  
> Impacted onlookers:  
> Byakuya: 4 (fully distracted)  
> Kazuichi: 15(half-way distracted, still crying eyes out)  
> Nagito: 16(half-way distracted, still investigating)  
> Ibuki: 12(still knocked out, though was half-hoping she’d get a natural 20 to wake up and admire lol)  
> Hajime investigating bathroom itself, 15 or more to find out obvious shit  
> Hajime: 9(roll) + 9(investigation modifier) = 18  
> Hajime investigating the body, nat 20 to reveal more about cause of death, 15 to find out obvious shit  
> Hajime: 16(roll) + 9(investigation modifier) = 25  
> % of how aggressive/panic’d the others outside of the room are  
> 90% rolled  
> Mahirus’ attempt to keep the rest calm 15 to get some calm, 20 to calm everyone  
> Mahiru: 2(roll) + 6(modifier) = 8.  
> . . .  
> Persuasion attempt for Mahiru 16 to invoke some clam, natural 20 to calm everyone  
> Mahiru: 11(roll) + 6(persuasion modifier) = 17  
> New aggression levels:  
> 80% rolled  
> Hajime and the school girl outfit: 15 to notice something, natural 20 to figure out whose it is.  
> Hajime: 14(roll) + 4(modifier) = 18  
> Byakuyas’ attempt to lower aggression levels further:  
> Byakuya: 11(roll) + 11(persuasion modifier) = 22  
> New aggression levels:  
> 20% rolled  
> Final perception look to figure out Sonias’ clothing mystery (19 or greater to figure part of it out):  
> Hajime: 9(roll) + 9(investigation modifier) = 18


	27. The Jolly Knife {Deadly Life} Interrogations I - Chapter 17.1-17.4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And, sorry for the delay, here's the interrogations. Because there's four of them going on at the same time(kind of wanted to do an idea similar to what V3 has but not exactly), you'll need to find the contradictions you wanna drag out further from the initial interrogation. As to make the material not as hard as it could be, I've chosen a few contradictions from each interrogation and put them in a list. You must vote for 2 different contradictions for each interrogation(8 total) and a truth bullet from evidence already found(4, making it 12 choices total) that will hopefully clear up the case on who killed Sonia. I will have the choices in the note section for you to browse. 
> 
> Pick carefully and enjoy the read! The formatting took me the longest on this particular chapter. Polls will also be open on the amino app!

> Dear lovely,
> 
>  
> 
> Well, because of time constraints and needing to get the class council done ASAP, I, Monokuma, have decided to make all four interrogations happen at once. I’ve copied the data of each student and the investigator to simulate each interrogation real time. As you know, this is a simulation! So, I can generate multiple sequences at once. While it is fun to watch the one we have going with all sixteen students, pulling away for our interrogations is crucial.  
> 
> Since you should be well acquainted with the rules, those will remain the same. However, you will need to use information gained from all four initial interrogations to make sound choices for what to press further on for each student.  When the first four interrogations are completed, you will have the choice of interrogating one more student of your choosing. And, after, you must submit your notes and recommendation to Hajime.
> 
> I wish you good luck on this very confusing case!
> 
> P.S. Copying AI is a bitch, so, don’t judge me too hard for it.
> 
> -Love,

Monokuma

 

 **T-top suspect-Gundham Tanaka** :

“Hello, welcome. How are you doing today?”

“The gates of hell tease my return! I belong on this Earth no more to sin!”

“Uh…okay. How about we start with an easy question?”

“I am the darkness that plagues this Earth for every second I inhale the undeserved oxygen of others! Please, berate me as you must.”

“Where were you between the hours of 4pm and 10pm on school campus today? Were you with anyone else for any portion of that time?”

“Silence with the questions! But, out of rapport, I will answer in the most concise language my tongue knows. At the ripe hour of 4pm I had been…unconscious for reasons unknown. It was around 8pm where I came to and saw Mikans’ distasteful disposition. I was originally in Sonias’ room for, if I had to guess, four hours. Once I had awakened, I thanked Mikan for healing me and left straight to my quarters. It was an accident, a misunderstanding of the sorts. I hadn’t seen Sonia since around 8pm that day. I do know that the room had my bloodstains and such within them, that is true, but it was only out of attempts to fix my wound. I had been with no one else than Sonia and Mikan.”

“Who do you think murdered Sonia Nevermind?”

“I attest to nothing! I know nothing!”

“Do you know any other information that could help with this investigation?”

“I have nothing but sins and hatred scrawled across my body. There is nothing that this cursed, beaten, bloodied body can tell without being cursed for all time. Please respect that.”

. . .

[Create Truth Bullet{Chiaki}: Time of departure from Sonias’ room]

[Create Truth Bullet{Nagito}: Akane Owari, Murderer?]

[Create Truth Bullet{Chiaki} Akane Owari, Savior?]

[Use Truth Bullet: Weapon{Skewer}]

[Use Truth Bullet: Weapon {Bloodly Knife}]

*

**A-Around the Area-Chiaki**

“Hello, welcome. How are you doing today?”

“I am well. May we start the investigation please?”

“Where were you between the hours of 4pm and 10pm on school campus? Were you with anyone else for any portion of that time?”

“At 4pm I was in my room resting until 6pm. From 6:00 to 6:30pm I showered. 6:45pm until 7:45pm I worked out at the gym. From 7:45pm to 8:00pm I enlisted the help of Mahiru and Hiyoko in luring Mikan away from Sonias’ room as they were planning to murder Gundham Tanka. From around 8pm until the body discovery time, I was stuck fighting off Mikan as she tried to attack and refute claims of trying to murder Gundham. Mahiru took picture evidence of me fighting off Mikan.”

“Who do you think murdered Sonia Nevermind?”

“Mikan Tsumiki.”

“Do you know any other information that could help with this investigation?”

“Gundham Tanaka was in Sonia Neverminds’ room between the hours of 11am until 9pm. Gundham Tanaka was joined by Akane Owari at some point, but it is unclear if Akane Owari assisted in the murder.  Mikan Tsumiki was lured away by **batch process.66.9ddsf** but could have potentially murdered Sonia Nevermind before then. Can this be finished now?”

. . .

[Create Truth Bullet{Peko}: Yellow Backpack]

[Create Truth Bullet{Gundham}: Mikan Tsumiki: Savior?]

[Create Truth Bullet{Nagito}: On watch?]

[Use Truth Bullet: Unidentified female School Uniform]

[Use Truth Bullet: Room Assignments]

*

**M-Missing in Action-Peko(feat. Fuyuhiko)**

“Hello, welcome. How are you doing today?”

“I am doing well, better since I know my master is here.” – Peko

“Can we hurry this up, so we can go back to doing something productive? I don’t want some dumbass poking at our brains.” – Fuyuhiko

“I am only here to assist and help to the best of my ability. I do not enjoy this. I am just giving your class the information it needs to survive.”

“What happens if we do not find the killer?” – Peko

“Yeah, if it’s some dumbass that gets away with it, we’re living with a murderer and killed an innocent friend!” – Fuyuhiko

“Monokuma has not informed me of the finer details on what will happen is the incorrect selection has been made. Where were you between the hours of 4pm and 10pm on school campus? Were you with anyone else for any portion of that time?”

“I was with Fuyuhiko the entire time. We were really trying our best to find something useful on the 3rd floor. We were going to start work on the 4th floor but then…we heard the body discovery announcement. We ran as fast as we could to get there, but…” – Peko

“We had some complications! We were on the other side of the school when this murder was announced, how could we possibly be the killers? Dipshit!” – Fuyuhiko

“Calm down, jeez. Do you know any other information that could help with this investigation?”

“Oh—we did notice Chiaki wandering around early in the afternoon. She was floating between the 5th and 4th floor a lot of the day. She had a large yellow backpack that just seemed to get bigger every time we saw her.” – Peko

“Being _nice and calm_ , we asked if she needed help. She denied it every time. Main reason why we bring that up now is because we saw that yellow bookbag outside of the Sauna when we were on our way over. I doubt Chiaki is the killer, but I want to make sure the air of suspicion is removed from us!” – Fuyuhiko

[Create Truth Bullet{Chiaki}: Working out?]

[Create Truth Bullet{Chiaki}: Resting until 4pm?]

[Create Truth Bullet{Nagito}: On watch?]

[Use Truth Bullet: Unidentified female School Uniform]

[Use Truth Bullet: Floor layout(2nd-3rd-4th floor levels)]

*

**A-Alibi-Nagito**

“Hello, how are y—”

“Let’s just get going. I’m really riled up I was chosen for this one.”

“Uh, ok. May I ask why?”

“I was…not even in the area. I was with my friend Hajime, making sure he stayed safe, and yet, people still seem to think I have a hand in everything!"

"*chuckle and blushes, hugging himself* Perhaps that’s why I love it so much.”

“Love what?”

“Hope.”

“Where were you between the hours of 4pm and 10pm on school campus? Were you with anyone else for any portion of that time?”\

“I was anxiously waiting for my shift most of the time. I sat outside of the Infirmary, but did take occasional breaks. I was there when there was a shift switch between Mahiru and Chiaki. The only time I left for a significant amount of time was when I found Kazuichi, my partner in watching Hajime. Once Hajime came to, Kazuichi immediately ran out to report it to the others. And, sometime after, maybe half an hour, the body discovery announcement was made. For the most part I was alone in the early afternoon(4pm-6pm) and met up with Kazuichi close to 8PM. It was slightly after 8pm when Chiaki, Mahiru, and Hiyoko left off to somewhere. They had some sort of mission to go on that I could care less about. The important thing is, honestly, I…could care less who died and who did it. Hajime is safe and he’s my priority. If, for some reason, the true murderer isn’t found, what will happen? Just curious.”

“Monokuma has not informed me that far.”

“Of course, he wouldn’t.”

“Who do you think killed Sonia Nevermind?”

“If I had to guess, out of sheer luck, Kazuichi Soda. Him to leave so quickly—then half an hour later a dead body is found? Of his old flame? Sounds pretty suspicious.”

“Do you know any other information that could help with this investigation?”

“Well, here’s an interesting thought: after Kazuichis exit from the kitchen before we took the shift over, Akane stormed herself over to the dorm area. She kept screaming something about getting revenge for Kazuichi. And, besides Nekomaru, she’d be easily able to deck those bruises on Sonias’ body…hm…but…something doesn’t make sense.”

“What?”

“Ah, nothing. I think that wraps up this interrogation, doesn’t it?”

[Create Truth Bullet{Gundham}: Leaving to his [Gundhams] room?]

[Create Truth Bullet{Chiaki}: Resting until 4pm?]

[Create Truth Bullet{Nagito}: On watch?]

[Use Truth Bullet: Hajimes’ wakeup time]

[Use Truth Bullet: Waiting for Kazuichi]

*

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember, 2 contradictions and 1 truth bullet~ Good luck!
> 
> Gundhams' choices:   
> [Create Truth Bullet{Chiaki}: Time of departure from Sonias’ room]
> 
> [Create Truth Bullet{Nagito}: Akane Owari, Murderer?]
> 
> [Create Truth Bullet{Chiaki} Akane Owari, Savior?]
> 
> [Use Truth Bullet: Weapon{Skewer}]
> 
> [Use Truth Bullet: Weapon {Bloodly Knife}]
> 
> Chiakis' Choices:  
> [Create Truth Bullet{Peko}: Yellow Backpack]  
> [Create Truth Bullet{Gundham}: Mikan Tsumiki: Savior?]  
> [Create Truth Bullet{Nagito}: On watch?]  
> [Use Truth Bullet: Unidentified female School Uniform]  
> [Use Truth Bullet: Room Assignments]
> 
> Peko's choices:  
> [Create Truth Bullet{Chiaki}: Working out?]  
> [Create Truth Bullet{Chiaki}: Resting until 4pm?]  
> [Create Truth Bullet{Nagito}: On watch?]  
> [Use Truth Bullet: Unidentified female School Uniform]  
> [Use Truth Bullet: Floor layout(2nd-3rd-4th floor levels)]
> 
> Nagitos' choices?:   
> “Ah, nothing. I think that wraps up this interrogation, doesn’t it?”  
> [Create Truth Bullet{Gundham}: Leaving to his [Gundhams] room?]  
> [Create Truth Bullet{Chiaki}: Resting until 4pm?]  
> [Create Truth Bullet{Nagito}: On watch?]  
> [Use Truth Bullet: Hajimes’ wakeup time]  
> [Use Truth Bullet: Waiting for Kazuichi]


	28. FULL TRANSCRIPTS! The Jolly Knife {Deadly Life} Interrogations I [CRIT MASS FAILURE] - Chapter 17.5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, I won't say this will be easy especially with two critical failures of the four interrogations. There is an option for there to be a 5th and final interrogation but I will need those comments in around 5pm my time tomorrow(I'm on central time for reference) to give me enough time to whip up something. I would **highly* recommend choosing someone in the top suspects category since the pool of who could've killed Sonia is large. Anyway, enjoy! A small chapter will follow that will mainly show what evidence is found and how people choose to investigate. There *will* be a chapter posted on Halloween in spirit of the season! It will be the start of the class council~!
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you for reading up to this point!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear lovely, 
> 
> The following formatting is ruined due to some crappy AI override that was trying to happen. Please ignore.
> 
> Love,
> 
> -Monokuma.

**T-top suspect-Gundham Tanaka:**

“Hello, welcome. How are you doing today?”

“The gates of hell tease my return! I belong on this Earth no more to sin!”

“Uh…okay. How about we start with an easy question?”

“I am the darkness that plagues this Earth for every second I inhale the undeserved oxygen of others! Please, berate me as you must.”

“Where were you between the hours of 4pm and 10pm on school campus today? Were you with anyone else for any portion of that time?”

“Silence with the questions! But, out of rapport, I will answer in the most concise language my tongue knows. At the ripe hour of 4pm I had been…unconscious for reasons unknown. It was around 8pm where I came to and saw Mikans’ distasteful disposition. I was originally in Sonias’ room for, if I had to guess, four hours. Once I had awakened, I thanked Mikan for healing me and left straight to my quarters. It was an accident, a misunderstanding of the sorts. I hadn’t seen Sonia since around 8pm that day. I do know that the room had my bloodstains and such within them, that is true, but it was only out of attempts to fix my wound. I had been with no one else than Sonia and Mikan.”

“Who do you think murdered Sonia Nevermind?”

“I attest to nothing! I know nothing!”

“Do you know any other information that could help with this investigation?”

“I have nothing but sins and hatred scrawled across my body. There is nothing that this cursed, beaten, bloodied body can tell without being cursed for all time. Please respect that.”

“You say no one else was with you during your time with Sonia and Mikan, correct?”

“That is the whole truth!”

“Well, I’ve been given reports that two witnesses have seen Akane Owari enter and exit Sonias’ room during the estimated time of your residence there. Care to explain?”

“. . .”

“I see. Well, how do you feel about one of the weapons used to harm Miss Nevermind? A chefs knife—”

“No! I repent that the knife was use for any repulsive usage. All of this was an accident after all—a simple fluke in cooking. ~~Mikan, Sonia and I were cooking a delightful meal at around 4pm~~ —”

“That is a lie! TeruTeru and Ibuki were cooking most of the afternoon, and if there were any injuries sustained in the kitchen, they would be aware of it too! Come clean, Gundham Tanaka.”

“I—I refuse to accept my reality. And you should too. I have since wiped the event from my memory. If, for whatever exhaustive reason Sonia sustained some injuries, it may have been due to an impartial exchange of words Sonia and Akane had.”

“Go on.”

“Sonia had been bashed against the head with a weapon. And they fought for at least an hour. I stepped in and, well…Sonia ended up in the bathroom because of me. Akane has really good impulse control, you know, and she was doing her best. I was the reckless one to decide a metal pipe to the head was the solution to Sonia acting out. I committed the murder, but, if there can be one request made, I would like Hajime Hinata to take care of my pets. They deserve someone like him to care for them.”

“That still doesn’t explain the full usage of the chef knife, Gundham Tanaka.”

“That doesn’t mean anything for this case. What matters is that I am the killer and I am confessing to you!”

“Hmm…thank you for your time Gundham Tanaka. This conversation will be extended in the class council, and the notes from this discussion will be passed along to your classmate Hajime Hinata.”

“Hell, I come knocking at your dear wearily soon…”

. . .

(This interrogation led to Mikan being moved to the Alibi category.)

[Create Truth Bullet{Chiaki}: Time of departure from Sonias’ room]

[Create Truth Bullet{Nagito}: Akane Owari, Murderer?] ✓

[Create Truth Bullet{Chiaki} Akane Owari, Savior?] ✓

[Use Truth Bullet: Weapon{Skewer}]

[Use Truth Bullet: Weapon {Bloodly Knife}] ✓

*

**A-Around the Area-Chiaki**

“Hello, welcome. How are you doing today?”

“I am well. May we start the investigation please?”

“Where were you between the hours of 4pm and 10pm on school campus? Were you with anyone else for any portion of that time?”

“At 4pm I was in my room resting until 6pm. From 6:00 to 6:30pm I showered. 6:45pm until 7:45pm I worked out at the gym. From 7:45pm to 8:00pm I enlisted the help of Mahiru and Hiyoko in luring Mikan away from Sonias’ room as they were planning to murder Gundham Tanka. From around 8pm until the body discovery time, I was stuck fighting off Mikan as she tried to attack and refute claims of trying to murder Gundham. Mahiru took picture evidence of me fighting off Mikan.”

“Who do you think murdered Sonia Nevermind?”

“Mikan Tsumiki.”

“Do you know any other information that could help with this investigation?”

“Gundham Tanaka was in Sonia Neverminds’ room between the hours of 11am until 9pm. Gundham Tanaka was joined by Akane Owari at some point, but it is unclear if Akane Owari assisted in the murder.  Mikan Tsumiki was lured away by **batch process.66.9ddsf** but could have potentially murdered Sonia Nevermind before then. Can this be finished now?”

“No, I have some reports to bring to your attention. For one, you seem to have a yellow backpack strapped on most of the day. A witness stated there was an empty yellow backpack in front of the Sauna. Also, another report has outlined Mikan to be a savior of the sorts, rather than the murderer you are trying to paint her as. Do you have a response for either of those reports?”

“**batch process.66.9ddsf****batch process.66.9ddsf****batch process.66.9ddsf**..**batch process.66.9ddsf**…**batch process.66.9ddsf**”

“Uh, okay…how about, we just let you cool off for a bit. I’ll make my questions a bit simpler. Did you use a yellow backpack today? Do you think you may be wrong about Mikan?”

“Yes. My yellow backpack contained –workout clothes—. Mikan is the killer. She seems to have supplied the poison that –killed— Sonia Nevermind. If you observe the bruises and –purple patches— you will be able to deduce the murderer. There was nothing at the crime scene that connects me with the murderer—”

“Well, there is this female uniform that was found at the crime. And, come to think of it, it matches your frame closely. Is there something you’re not telling me Chiaki?”

“**batch process.66.9ddsf****batch process.66.9ddsf****batch process.66.9ddsf**..**batch process.66.9ddsf**…**batch process.66.9ddsf****batch process.66.9ddsf****batch process.66.9ddsf****batch process.66.9ddsf**..**batch process.66.9ddsf**…**batch process.66.9ddsf****batch process.66.9ddsf****batch process.66.9ddsf****batch process.66.9ddsf**..**batch process.66.9ddsf**…**batch process.66.9ddsf**”

“You gotta be kidding me…wow…Chiaki, come on. Be honest.”

“Kazuichi Souda—assisted suicide.”

“What?”

DDOS SERVER BREAK.

. . .

(Strange behavior moved to Chiaki to Top Suspects category.)

[Create Truth Bullet{Peko}: Yellow Backpack] ✓

[Create Truth Bullet{Gundham}: Mikan Tsumiki: Savior?] ✓

[Create Truth Bullet{Nagito}: On watch?]

[Use Truth Bullet: Unidentified female School Uniform] ✓

[Use Truth Bullet: Room Assignments]

*

**M-Missing in Action-Peko(feat. Fuyuhiko)**

“Hello, welcome. How are you doing today?”

“I am doing well, better since I know my master is here.” – Peko

“Can we hurry this up, so we can go back to doing something productive? I don’t want some dumbass poking at our brains.” – Fuyuhiko

“I am only here to assist and help to the best of my ability. I do not enjoy this. I am just giving your class the information it needs to survive.”

“What happens if we do not find the killer?” – Peko

“Yeah, if it’s some dumbass that gets away with it, we’re living with a murderer and killed an innocent friend!” – Fuyuhiko

“Monokuma has not informed me of the finer details on what will happen is the incorrect selection has been made. Where were you between the hours of 4pm and 10pm on school campus? Were you with anyone else for any portion of that time?”

“I was with Fuyuhiko the entire time. We were really trying our best to find something useful on the 3rd floor. We were going to start work on the 4th floor but then…we heard the body discovery announcement. We ran as fast as we could to get there, but…” – Peko

“We had some complications! We were on the other side of the school when this murder was announced, how could we possibly be the killers? Dipshit!” – Fuyuhiko

“Calm down, jeez. Do you know any other information that could help with this investigation?”

“Oh—we did notice Chiaki wandering around early in the afternoon. She was floating between the 5th and 4th floor a lot of the day. She had a large yellow backpack that just seemed to get bigger every time we saw her.” – Peko

“Being _nice and calm_ , we asked if she needed help. She denied it every time. Main reason why we bring that up now is because we saw that yellow bookbag outside of the Sauna when we were on our way over. I doubt Chiaki is the killer, but I want to make sure the air of suspicion is removed from us!” – Fuyuhiko

“So, Chiaki claims she had been working out between the times of 6:45pm and 7:45pm. Did you guys notice Chiaki on any other levels other than the gym?”

“Chiaki was on the 4th floor for a bit, probably sometime between 7:15 and 7:30. Not sure why though.” – Peko.

“I mean, do we really need to keep beating this dead horse? We’re not the killers! It just took us some time to get to the crime scene due to some…complications.” – Fuyuhiko

“There are a couple other things I have concerns about. Nagito claims he was on watch in front of Hajimes’ room for the great part of today. Did either of you see him?”

“No.” – Peko

“No—now can we please go since neither of us are *obviously* not the killer?” – Fuyuhiko

“There was an unidentified female school un—”

“That…would definitely not fit me. The chest is too large and it’d be a tight fit. Neither I or my master would desire me to wear such a revealing school uniform” – Peko

“Yeah, so can we please fucking go?!!” –  Fuyuhiko

“You are dismissed.”

. . .

(Crit failed—moved Peko and Fuyuhiko to Alibi category.)

[Create Truth Bullet{Chiaki}: Working out?] ✓

[Create Truth Bullet{Chiaki}: Resting until 4pm?]

[Create Truth Bullet{Nagito}: On watch?] ✓

[Use Truth Bullet: Unidentified female School Uniform] ✓

[Use Truth Bullet: Floor layout(2nd-3rd-4th floor levels)]

Crit failed—essential information missing from interrogation. This may or may not lead to an incorrect murderer being chosen.

*

**A-Alibi-Nagito**

“Hello, how are y—”

“Let’s just get going. I’m really riled up I was chosen for this one.”

“Uh, ok. May I ask why?”

“I was…not even in the area. I was with my friend Hajime, making sure he stayed safe, and yet, people still seem to think I have a hand in everything! *chuckle and blushes, hugging himself* Perhaps that’s why I love it so much.”

“Love what?”

“Hope.”

“Where were you between the hours of 4pm and 10pm on school campus? Were you with anyone else for any portion of that time?”

“I was anxiously waiting for my shift most of the time. I sat outside of the Infirmary, but did take occasional breaks. I was there when there was a shift switch between Mahiru and Chiaki. The only time I left for a significant amount of time was when I found Kazuichi, my partner in watching Hajime. Once Hajime came to, Kazuichi immediately ran out to report it to the others. And, sometime after, maybe half an hour, the body discovery announcement was made. For the most part I was alone in the early afternoon(4pm-6pm) and met up with Kazuichi close to 8PM. It was slightly after 8pm when Chiaki, Mahiru, and Hiyoko left off to somewhere. They had some sort of mission to go on that I could care less about. The important thing is, honestly, I…could care less who died and who did it. Hajime is safe and he’s my priority. If, for some reason, the true murderer isn’t found, what will happen? Just curious.”

“Monokuma has not informed me that far.”

“Of course, he wouldn’t.”

“Who do you think killed Sonia Nevermind?”

“If I had to guess, out of sheer luck, Kazuichi Soda. Him to leave so quickly—then half an hour later a dead body is found? Of his old flame? Sounds pretty suspicious.”

“Do you know any other information that could help with this investigation?”

“Well, here’s an interesting thought: after Kazuichis exit from the kitchen before we took the shift over, Akane stormed herself over to the dorm area. She kept screaming something about getting revenge for Kazuichi. And, besides Nekomaru, she’d be easily able to deck those bruises on Sonias’ body…hm…but…something doesn’t make sense.”

“What?”

“Ah, nothing. I think that wraps up this interrogation, doesn’t it?”

“Well, since you had watched Hajime wake up, did you notice anything strange about Gundham in the brief time you spend around in the hallways?”

“Well, I did pick up Kazuichi from outside the dining halls. I hadn’t seen Gundham during that time. What’s your point?”

“Well, you claim you were present when Hajime woke up. Around what time was that?”

“Around 10pm, and then about half an hour later the body announcement was made. Where are you going with this?”

“I just want to clarify with you that you did not suspect anything on your way over to the scene of the crime.”

“There was nothing on our way there that really stood out as weird or out place. Nothing was strangely out of place. Everything was as it stood be—please tell me we’re done here?”

“You’re free to go, Nagito.”

. . .

(Crit failed, moved Akane up to Top Suspects category.)

[Create Truth Bullet{Gundham}: Leaving to his [Gundhams] room?] ✓

[Create Truth Bullet{Chiaki}: Resting until 4pm?]

[Create Truth Bullet{Nagito}: On watch?] ✓

[Use Truth Bullet: Hajimes’ wakeup time] ✓

[Use Truth Bullet: Waiting for Kazuichi]

Crit failed—essential information missing from interrogation. This may or may not lead to an incorrect murderer being chosen.

*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New TAMA format, based off interrogations completed:
> 
> Who do you want to accuse for the murder of Sonia Nevermind?:
> 
> T-O-P SUSPECTS:
> 
> -Kazuichi Souda(claimed to be the first to discover the body, states she was alive when he last saw her)
> 
> ->(moved to top suspects due to suspicious behavior) Chiaki Nanami(claimed to be in the Sauna with Mahiru and Hiyoko)
> 
> -(anchored)Gundham Tanaka (blood from the crime scene matches Gundham, weapon found at scene has fingerprints. Gundham confesses(though a bit too easily) to the crime.
> 
> ->(moved based off of Nagitos interrogation) Akane Owari(claimed to be in her room ‘showering’ around the time Sonia may have been killed)
> 
>  
> 
> A-R-O-U-N-D THE AREA:
> 
> -Nekomaru Nidai(claimed to be ‘taking a shit’ around the time Sonia may have been killed)
> 
> -Mahiru Koizumi (claims to be in cahoots with Chiaki Nanami, taking pictures of the fight between Mikan and Chiaki)
> 
> -Hiyoko Saionji (claims to be in cahoots with Chiaki Nanami, tagging along with Mahiru for ‘serious emotional support’)
> 
> M-I-S-S-I-N-G IN ACTION
> 
> Byakuya Togami (claimed to be analyzing intel received from others regarding where they were when Hajime could have been hurt)
> 
> A-L-I-B-I’s?:
> 
> -(anchored) Nagito Komaeda (claims to be with Hajime Hinata when he woke up)
> 
> -(anchored)Hajime Hinata(woke up at the time of the body discovery)
> 
> -Ibuki Mioda (working with TeruTeru to clean up the kitchen)
> 
> -TeruTeru Hanamura (giving Ibuki ‘the business’ in the kitchen)
> 
> ->(moved to alibi) Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu (claimed to be with Peko, searching the 3rd floor in-depth)
> 
> ->(moved to alibi) Peko Pekoyama (claimed to be with Fuyuhiko, searching the 3rd floor in-depth)
> 
> ->(moved to alibi per Mikan was fighting Chiaki during the majority of the time)Mikan Tsukimi(claims to have been attacked by Chiaki Nanami around the time Sonia may have been killed)
> 
>  
> 
> Who will you suggest as the killer? Will Hajime believe you? Or will you take Monokumas’ offer and ask for an additional interrogation first?


	29. Evidence File - Pre Class Council Evidence|Pre Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the class had fully searched the room, the below information had been found. Also, as an ooc nod, not all evidence has been found yet.
> 
> I'll post the beginning of the class council Tuesday. We'll have a special guest :P

__

_Pseudo Chapter 18 roll notes:_

_Roll for comes in to investigate next(2 groups of four):_

_TeruTeru already done_

_Ibuki passed out still(rolled 2 for con roll)_

_Kazuichi not really into it right now, thanks(roll 7 for con roll)_

_Byakuya already done_

_Chiaki 19 + 3 = 22  (1)_

_Hiyoko 14 +5 = 19 (2)_

_Mahiru 7 + 5 = 13 (8)_

_Mikan(Performance roll on autopsy, 15 to do it successfully) 13_ _à autopsy not done by 2 nd group search _ _à 9_ _à autopsy not done by 3 rd group search(no autopsy by Mikan by the time class council begins) _

_Akane  13 + 3 = 16 (4)_

_Fuyuhiko 2 + 4 = 6  (5)_

_Peko 10 + 4 = 16 (6)_

_Nekomaru 4 + 2 = 6 (7)_

_Nagito already done_

_Hajime already done_

_Gundham 16 + 3 = 19 (3)_

_What does Hajime find out from what he knows vs. what the class finds(25 to get basic gist, 30 to have most evidence, 40 to have all evidence available.)_

_Just Hajime: 16 + 9 = 25(a fair amount)_

_15+8 +20+11+6+1/5 = 12ish 12+25=37(for this one I kept rolling until I hit a crit fail)  
_

_All evidence not found._

_Complete list of evidence (known before class council):_

_\- High Frequency Baby monitor (listening end) found outside of the shower underneath] towels_

_\- IV thrown in garbage can along with medical bags_

_\- Skewer found on bed, near large blood stain_

_\- Knife found mixed in with clothes in drawer_

_\- 3 different drip chambers found across the room; 2 in bathroom 1 underneath the bed_

_\- Akane Owaris’ hair from inside of Sonia Neverminds’ shower drain_

_\- Gundham Tanakas’ blood around Sonias’ room, on her bed particularly_

_-High Frequency Baby monitor (other listening in w/ ability to speak) found in Yellow Backpack outside of Sauna_

_-Broken smelling salts tossed underneath mattress_

_\- Deluxe Sewing kit with the initials S.N with unidentified blood on the tip of one needle_

_Hajime received information from interrogator, will open next chapter with his reaction_


	30. THE JOLLY KNIFE TRIAL 1 PART ONE  feat. a special guest - Chapter Nineteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I apologize sincerely for not having a Halloween chapter like I said. I got into a mode of depression and things in real life were kicking my ass. BUT, without further ADO: THE CLASS TRIAL!
> 
> You may have noticed that I skipped over chapter 18, that was done intentionally as we'll head back to that after the class trial finishes up. I am experimenting with the format of the class council, please let me know what you think. 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy! This was written waaay before but the formatting is what consistently kicks my ass.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI: The only sprites I could find as Izuru had brownish hair...please be aware that, in my story, Hajime has black hair(the brown haired sprites were just the only ones I could find.
> 
> Hiyoko does NOT look like that anymore, I just encountered the same problem I had with Hajime with Hiyoko(there's literally no sprites out there for the older Hiyoko).
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!! And please comment your feedback about this type of formatting

Class Council BEGIN!

MONOKUMA: So, this is how it’ll work. You guys will have your little debate and vote on who killed your friend Sonia. If you’re right, only that student will be punished! But if you’re wrong…

There’s a long pause. All students look over at Monokuma with frightened faces, even Gundhams hamsters seem to be on edge as well.

MONOKUMA: The real killer will inflict a punishment on you all! Upupupu!...While I encouraged the murderer not to do anything drastic, as I still want most of you intact, they have chosen quite the idea! So choose wisely! Let this class council begin!

###Case 2, Murder One###The Jolly Knife###

Hajime: I guess we should start with the basics?

Nagito: That sounds fair.

Akane: One of us…

Peko: killed Sonia…

Ibuki: I wonder who dunit!

TeruTeru: I can’t envision livin’ with n’ rotten murderer! We gotsta catch ‘em y’all!

Fuyuhiko: Where the fuck did that accent come from?

Nekomaru: There’s no time for this, let’s get to the review of the basics—

A loud chime hits the room. Class 77-B covers their ears, closing their eyes briefly at the noise.

Mahiru: (shouting) What the hell Monokuma?!?

Hiyoko: Owwie…my ears hurt…

Gundham: The angels from afar prepare us for such a dastardly fate…

Byakuya: (shouting) What is the meaning of this, Monokuma!?!

The loud noise slowly tapers off, a large neon sign rotates in the middle of the circle made by the fifteen students. In front of Sonias’ picture, which has been crossed out with a red ‘X’, lies a name.

M-I-K-A-N

Mikan:…W-What is t-t-that?

MONOKURMA: Glad you asked! I like to make sure all of our viewers stay engrossed in the story!  So, earlier, I had them do a quick vote on who they believe did the dirty deed of killing Sonia. Think of it as a Jurys’ decision if you will.

Monokuma hops to his feet, extending his claws as he swipes at air.

MONOKUMA: And, hold on,  give me a sec—

A large, mostly blurry picture rotates closer to the middle of the circle, spinning near the embezzled neon sign. This picture lists four other names, along with the question “Who killed Sonia Nevermind?”. The class gasps in shock.

MONOKUMA: There we go! While the person chosen *may or may not be the murderer*, they sure as hell are on that list! A-HAHAHA! Well, I think that’s it for me.

Monokuma proceeds to sit back down on his throne, tapping against the armrest with his claws.

MONOKUMA: Do the kids say “WALLOP” these days to start a blood bath?

Silence follows—appears that Monokumas’ attempt of a joke has fallen flat.

Hiyoko: (screaming) I can’t hear ANY-THING, SO can this be over with? If it’s between those people on the picture, my vote is already for that pig-faced Mikan!

Mikan: (a light blush is on her face) I-I-I

Nekomaru: (gesturing toward Hiyoko) Hey, you lower your voice! We still need to review the basics. While this poll may be useful to some extent, we can’t let it make our decisions for us.

Peko: I am in agreement.

Fuyuhiko: All we need to do is go down the basics, check for alibis for the people on the list, and then we’ll have our murderer! Easy!

Byakuya: While the list may be beneficial, I’d like to cover all basis and clear everyones alibis. If we pick incorrectly, we could all be facing something much worse than manual labor for the rest of our lives!

Chiaki: I agree.

Mahiru: Well, to be fair, I don’t know if we can trust Monokumas’ list. So I agree with Byakuya.

Hajime: Let’s review what we know so far. . . 

Hajime (narration): Sonia was in her room for most of the day. From what I have been told, she left to her room around the early afternoon hour with Gundham. Is that correct?

Gundham: My four dark devas are in agreement with that.

Kazuichi: So you DID go to her room! Ok, that settles it, you’ve had it out for me since we’ve met!

Akane: Hey, COOL IT! We don’t have time to waste on how lovestruck you were, idiot!

Kazuichi: 

Chiaki: But, if Sonia left to her room in the early afternoon, why did the murderer wait so long to attack?  What may have been preventing the murderer from killing Sonia earlier in the day?

###Non-stop debate 1###

Kazuichi: It’s pretty obvious isn’t it? () Gundham was doing what he usually does, flirting, and the murderer was sickened by it! ()

Hiyoko: (screaming) I still can’t hear but I think Kazuichi is saying something out of jealously!

Mahiru: (patting Hiyoko on the head, leaning close to her ear) Well that may be true, you need to keep your tone lower—er—well, just…I dunno. This entire case is confusing. ()Why would anyone want to hurt Sonia?()

Gundham: ()…Hmm…()

Nagito: Maybe the murderer had a () grudge () or () thought she was planning something unsavory…()

Chiaki: I think that could definitely be the case.

Ibuki: Where’s the ()proof that Sonia may have been thinking of something bad() though? Sonia has been () one of the main organizers for searching the school(), so she could’ve just done anything bad herself and no one would’ve noticed!

Kazuichi: No—Sonia was () good a  nd ne ve  r d  id a b ad th in   g in her l i f  e()[Break!]

###Non-stop debate cleared 1, 80% better choice made###

Hajime: I think, to start understanding this case, Kazuichi, we need to see what could be the motive. Does anyone else remember coming across a bloody needle in Sonias’ sewing kit? It was mixed in with her fabrics.

Ibuki: Ibuki saw it! It was creepy—but what could have been the thing she did with just a needle?

Nekomaru: I know Sonia had a liking to the occult, but it seems unlikely she’d grab any samples for a ritual or the likes.

Akane: Maybe you are right Hajime, we should start looking at Sonia in a different light…

Mikan: I-I-I think the murderer did this intentionally. Maybe they already had a plan in place?

Nagito: Since your name is listed as one of the potential murderers Mikan,  I’d rather not see you dig your own grave.

Hajime: Well, regardless of the murderers intentions, I think we can rule out the murder happening anytime before 5pm. As far as the needle goes, I think the usage of it is critical for understanding the case in more detail. Monokuma, you said I could have one item of choice scanned for DNA results during the class council, right?

MONOKUMA: Of course! With how terrible that damned interrogator did, I figured you needed a ray of hope to be crushed by despair! Are you making the choice to test the needle?

Mahiru: Wait—this should be a group decision? Why is Hajime being trusted with so much?

Ibuki: Ibuki wants a vote! Ibuki wants to test the blood on one of the *actual weapons* at the crime scene!

Byakuya: I would like to object to your reasoning of testing the needle, Hajime.

###Rebuttal Showdown!!###

Byakuya: Testing some of the weapons at the scene of the crime could drastically assist us in the investigation

Byakuya: ()T h e nee d le li  kel y  is a di str  act ion placed  by  t he m  urd   erer() [BREAK!]

##Advance!!##

Hajime: Testing the weapons would be useless since Monokuma already gave some of that information for the skewer. Sure, the chef knife may reveal a different perspective, but isn’t it strange the needle was tucked away in Sonias’ belongings? And, if it were planted by the murderer, we could still get some sort of clue of who that is.

Byakuya: I’m still not certain of that choice.

Byakuya: ()Anyone could have planted the needle there().

Byakuya: Besides, () I’m no t s u re if Sonia has use d  I t  r e c e n t l   y .() [Break!]

##Advance!!##

Hajime: I think everyone was given the same set of clothes by Monokuma. For Sonia to have been wearing the dress she was found murdered in, she’d have to make it. Right Monokuma?

MONOKUMA: ZzzzZZ—OH, yeah, no one got any special treatment. Sonia must be quite the sewing master!

###Rebuttal Successful!!###

Nagito: Are we done now, can we agree the needle is the best thing to DNA test?

Ibuki: Ibuki agrees!

Nekomaru: Makes sense to me! Let’s hope it’ll tell us something about this case.

Byakuya: I guess I am what you could call in agreement.

Hiyoko: (screaming): Huh?

Mahiru: (talks into Hiyokos ear for a bit, and then Hiyoko nods) I agree too, I guess.

Chiaki: I agree.

Kazuichi: (sniffling) Yes.

TeruTeru: A-yeah!

Peko: It appears we are all in agreement.

Fuyuhiko: Let’s test the damned thing already!

Gundham: I am in agreement as well.

Akane: Let’s see whose DNA is on that damned thing!

Mikan: A-Ah! I can barely handle the suspense!

Hajime: Although it was my decision, I guess it helps to have a majority vote in my favor. Let’s test the needle Monokuma!

MONOKUMA: Alrightee! For my purposes, I’ve already logged most of the weapons used to injure other students or living beings.

Akane: Living beings? You mean there’s someone else here other than us?

Kazuichi: (scared face sprite here) The ghost of Sonia is going to haunt us now!

MONOKUMA: No you idiots! Puhuhuhu, this is going to be juicy! The fingerprints for the needle show as Sonia Neverminds! And the blood, its from one of those weird hamster things Gundhams always calling dark demons. Take that as a twist!

The class is engulfed by shock gasps as everyone looks around, seeming in disbelief of what they recently heard.

Hajime: And how long has the blood been on that needle, Monokuma?

MONOKUMA: Looks like this blood is circa our 1st day here. Looks like Sonia wasted no time in spreading some despair!

Monokumas’ cackles seem to absorb even the slightest bit of innocence from the case. Everyone fell to silence, including Hajime. This would make the case even tougher to comprehend.

Hajime(thinking): If the interrogator suggests Kazuichi…and the people watching us are suggesting Mikan…then why is the motive seemingly pointed at Gundham?

Gundham: I protest to nothing! I am completely unaware and in awe that such blood has found its way on Sonias’ needle. Perhaps it was a fluke in doctoring—

Fuyuhiko: Cut your poetic bullshit! Tell us the truth—did Sonia kill your pet or not?

Mahiru: You know you could’ve brought it up to at least some of us and maybe figured out what was wrong with Sonia, right?

Ibuki: Ibuki wants to know why you’re lying!

Gundham: Lying would mean I am being untruthful. I strictly do not know the means which Sonia has caught the blood of one of my Dark Devas!

##Panic Talk Action Sequence 1!!##

  
Gundham: I don’t think this is needed!

Gundham: It was likely a mistake!

Gundham: Now that I recall…

Gundham: You dare challenge me and the ()f o u   r dark devas of destruction()?!? [Break!]

W H E R E I S T H E F O U R T H D E V A ? [Completed!]

 

Hajime: Ok then, well, show us then. Your *four* dark devas of destruction!

There a silence as one of the hamsters strolls down into Gundhams palm. A longer silence baits itself as the other hamster falls into Gundhams other palm. A 3rd hamster rests itself upon Gundhams head. There is a long silence. A 4th hamster never comes into view.

Gundham: …

Gundham: I wanted to be strong and find the answer myself. I thought I could save Sonia, but sadly, I could not. On our 1st day here, I received a note from Hiyoko that Sonia wanted to meet me in the storage room. I met her, of course, and she started speaking about despair. Sonia said she could only feel it if she had been alone or with one other person. She said, when she was immersed in her Ultimate duty, despair steered away from her…and since it was only me and Sonia—and no distractions—I got fearful of my own life. And, much like a coward…

Gundham pauses, tears in his eyes. He covers most of his face with a scarf. A crimson blush shows on his face.

Gundham: She attempted to seduce me in the storage room that day. When I refused her offer to join despair, she took a leap from the storage boxes. That’s when Nekomaru broke the door in and saw Sonia on the floor.

Nekomaru: I remember that! Hiyoko, Mahiru, Akane, Kazuichi, and Chiaki were there too!

Hiyoko: (screaming, but a bit less loud than previous times) Whaat?

Mahiru: (speaks into Hiyokos’ ear as Hiyoko nods)

Hiyoko: (screaming, but a bit less loud than previous times) Oooh! Yeah, we went to spy on Gundham and Sonia! Then Akane asked to see what we were doing, there a loud noise, Akane ran to get Nekomaru to help out, and Chiaki wandered in before Akane and Nekomaru came back. Kazuichi ran over once the door had been busted open. It was weiiird.

Chiaki: At least now we know the full story…

Akane: Ah—I remember that day! That bitch!

Nagito: So now we do have a motive for Gundham. Tell me Gundham, why did you wait so long to kill her? Were you afraid of telling the others about the murder and us not believing you?

Gundham gets choked up, looking the other way.

Gundham: That is all I believe I know from that day. I recall finding Jum-Ps’ body, lifeless, in a half-circle of pumpkin seeds prepared the way I typically make them…but. If I am to be pronounced guilty by such a precarious set of events, then I accept the guilt full on.

Nagito: Hmm…this doesn’t make sense though. If you really are the murderer, and you had been hurt in the struggle of fighting Sonia, how did you manage to move the body without getting the room even bloodier? The walls seemed bloodier than the floor or other surfaces.

Gundham: I am the commander of the depths of he—

Akane: Cut the crap, please.

Hajime: I think we really need to review more of the basics before we press further. Back to the beginning, it was late afternoon when Gundham and Sonia returned to her room. If there was indeed a struggle, how long did it last Gundham?

##Non-stop debate 2##

Mahiru: I’m not sure about you guys, but that sounded like () a confession back there from Gundham…()

Gundham: I recall the struggle very much…it was at first a very innocent meeting that ended up with both us laying down on her bed.

 

Kazuichi: 

Nagito: So she seduced you then? And when she attacked you with the knife, you…

Gundham: Fought back, valiantly. (( My hands can on l y do so much)) to defend from her attacks. [break!!]

##Non-step debate 2 60% premature break##

Nagito: There was another weapon found at the scene of the crime, with traces of Sonias’ blood. It was a skewer and I’m almost certain that she didn’t keep it for the looks.

Gundham (defensive): Sure, ok, I used a weapon. But only to defend myself. She already killed Jum-P, so god knew what else she had up her sleeve. And then after a long time of fighting, I ended up killing her, moving her body over into the bathroom, and bam, murder!

Chiaki: That sounds…unrealistic.

Byakuya: What makes you say that Chiaki?

Chiaki: If Gundham was injured in the early afternoon, managed to survive his wound and get the body moved over in a few hours…

Chiaki: Wouldn’t Mikan also be a suspect in assisting with the murder?

Mikan (nervous(+ using specialty for performance):  I-I-I didn’t do such a thing. Mahiru has pictures of me and C-Chiaki fighting in the Sauna. How awful of you to suspect me!

TeruTeru: A hot lady fight without my dutiful permission?!?! I must see the pictures. Oh, you know, for ‘investigation’ purposes.

Mahiru: When I went to grab Mikan, it was already around 8pm. If Gundham did kill Sonia, it would match up with that timeline.  Anyway, if people want to see the pictures, I can pass them around.

Mahiru takes out a small stack of pictures. There are three pictures, with timestamps between 8:30 and 9:45pm. It shows Chiaki and Mikan fighting with an array of surgical equipment and items found in the Sauna. Nothing looked out of the ordinary as the two students appeared to be fighting each other in a brutal matter.

Nekomaru: Chiaki, if you suspected Mikan of murder, why didn’t you come to any of us?

Mahiru: Yeah, I’d like to know if someoens about to murder a friend, ya’know!

Hiyoko (back to speaking at a normal tone): Yeah…it hurt me to find out Mikan killed someone. Even if she is a perverted pig face.

Byakuya: We can’t rule out everyone else just yet! We need to check for alibis. And, for god sake, get through the basics! Please, Hajime, continue.

Hajime (clears throat):…So we’ve determined that there was a struggle between Gundham and Sonia that lasted until at least 8pm. With Mikan perhaps being involved…at around 10pm Kazuichi found Sonias’ body in the bathtub.  Kazuichi, is there anything special that happened while you were  there first? Anything strange?

Kazuichi: I-I don’t know! I was freaking out! She was just there, lying in a pool of blood and gunk. And everything was a mess.

Byakuya: We need more to go off than that.

Fuyuhiko: I’m starting to realize why you’re on that list with how weird you’re acting man. As much as I want to suspect Gundham more than you, you’re trying to leave out the details.

Peko: I agree—Kazuichi—please explain yourself!

##Non-stop debate 3##

Kazuichi: ()I don’t remember anything!()

Kazuichi: I just remember rushing to Sonias’ room to tell her the good news about Hajime being awake. And, I saw her room held ajar by some ()female school uniform(). I didn’t think much of it, so I pushed through and saw the damage of the room.

Byakuya: ()And what happened after?()

Kazuichi: I just went to the bathroom and ()saw the condition her body was in().  It was like she was beaten to a pulp and just tossed into the bathroom like a sack of potatoes. 

Peko: So the bruises were ()after Gundham left the room most likely()…

Kazuichi: I swear the only thing I did was, per Sonias’ last request, ()turn  o n t he w ater fo r the s h ow we r()[Break!!!]

###Non-stop debate 3 completed, 80% better choice selected!!###

Hajime: So you turned the water on for Sonia according to her last words?

Kazuichi: Y-Yes! I heard her voice, I swear!...At least I think I did.

Fuyuhiko: I’d like to bring everyones’ attention to the piece of evidence that was found in Sonias’ bathroom under some towels. I think this is a key piece of evidence in finding the murderer! You can thank me later!

Fuyuhiko motions to Monokuma, who awakes from his brief slumber and does some cinematic magic. Out of nowhere, people can see a baby monitor. All appears normal although the bottom appears to be scratched and beaten. This monitor has been in some rough spots, it appears.

Fuyuhiko: I think the voice Kazuichi heard was from this! Some dipshit probably strained their voice to act like Sonia. In a high stress situation, even if its barely similar, I bet Kazuichi would believe it without a second guess.

Kazuichi: You really believe in me that little?

Peko: But who would have made the noise from the other end?

Nekomaru: Maybe Mikan?

Byakuya: The female uniform found as a door stopper did match many of the females here well enough to be theirs. Perhaps the killer used the uniform as a door stopper to allow herself easy access in and out?

Mahiru: I don’t think so, well, unless Mikan was the murderer. I remember Mikan placing the clothes there before we left to the Sauna.

TeruTeru: (distracted by the pictures) Y-Yea…

Mahiru: Hey! No one asked you pervert!

TeruTeru: (dejected) Yeah…

Mikan: T-That…is..erm…I don’t know.

Hajime: Can you please let us know what was going on from your end? You’re one of the last people on the list besides Akane we have yet to hear from.

##Panic Talk Action 2##

Mikan: I don’t know! Why don’t you ask the person who took my pictures what I was doing?

Mikan: I’m not sure what happened between 4 and 8 pm for me. It’s all fuzzy.

Mikan: Today has been stressful, can we just take a break for now?

###Panic Talk Action failed, Hajime and Nagito crit failed(0%)…trigger despair event###

MONOKUMA: BOR-RING! I think it’s time to bring out the guest of honor! Come on down!

There is a loud creak that consumes the room again. Everyone covers their ears and closes their eyes for about a minute or so. Hajime appears to be the first to open his eyes, taken aback at what he sees. The two signs that were once in the middle of the circle are now gone, replaced by several chains. These metal chains appear to have hoisted up a woman of average height and weight. Although most of the persons’ body is covered with leather and chains, one strain of lavender hair is viewable to everyone.  A large white bag is placed on the persons head as Monokuma lets out a boisterous laughter. As others begin to open their eyes, the only one that appears to be calm is Nagito.

Hajime (whispering to Nagito): Why are you calm?

Nagito (whispering to Hajime):…I understand now. Why this is dragging out like this. Hajime, I don’t think this is a case that’s supposed to be won.

Hajime (agitated, whispering): What? What do you mean?

MONOKUMA: Hey! No whispering at a class council! Ahem, the person in the middle of you all will be assisting you in finding out who the killer of this case is. If you guys still manage to fail with *that* talent on your side, I guess, the *talent* will be included in the punishment. Upupupu! Anyway, let’s continue with the insight of our…specialist.

Mahiru: Liar! I thought you said there was just us here!

Fuyuhiko: Yeah, what the hell is going on!?!?

Peko: We deserve answers!

Girl in chains:…We need to start looking at this case in an entirely different light. We need to go back to the first day and see what everyone recalls being discussed. Because, at the rate you guys are debating, everyone will be punished.

Hiyoko (yelling again): We don’t even know your NAMME! And you expect *us* to trust *you*?

Fuyuhiko: I’m calling bullshit on this too!

Girl in chains:…My name is Kyoko Kirigiri. And you may want to hold your tongue if you want the Ultimate Detective to assist you with this case of murder.

##Class council: SUSPENDED!!##


	31. THE JOLLY KNIFE TRIAL 1 PART TWO feat. a special guest - Chapter Twenty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I sincerely apologize about last week -- I got sick and couldn't work on the story much! I really hope you enjoy this new chapter. We're going to do some classic Danganronpa backtracking throughout most of the month of December(finishing up 'The Past' arc with Hajime, going back to chapter 18, and revealing who the true murderer is)!

##Class council: SUSPENDED!!##

A message from Monomi & Monokuma

MONOKUMA: Man, these kids are terrible at solving murders!

MONOMI: Of  course they are, they’re high school students!

MONOKUMA: Don’t lie and say they’re still in high school! They’re all in their mid 20’s now that you’ve wasted their golden years away with manual labor and your hope spiel!

MONOMI: I-I didn’t waste anything! They’re the beacons of hope in your disgusting despair reality.

MONOKUMA: Oh really? Well, we’ll see how far these hope people last.

##Class council: REOPEN!##

Kyoko is now sitting in the middle of the circle, fully unchained. The rest of the class is still baffled by her appearance.

Kazuichi: So, you’re…a detective? So, you know who killed Sonia? Tell us!

Mahiru: Detectives just don’t *know* things right off the bat. They do investigations and then have ideas of who kills who.

TeruTeru: Either way, she’s *smoking* hot…

Kyoko: We don’t have that much time left to discuss the case. We need to review one of the most crucial pieces of information everyone received on their first day here.  If we realize all that has happened in light of that, the truth will come naturally.

Akane: But the murder happened like a week after we got here. What’s the point of going back that far?

Nagito: Maybe there’s something to be gained from going back that far…but what exactly is your aim Miss Kirigiri?

Kyoko: To absolve the truth. Now, if we go around and review the thing everyone received when we first got here, things will become clear at what we need to look into more closely. Does anyone have any idea of what that could be?

Mahiru: I’m not sure what you could be referring to.

Ibuki: Oo! Ibuki think she knows!!

Hajime: How about we see what exactly you’re trying to get at before we—

Kyoko: The way things are going so far, there’s going to be a bad ending if you don’t follow my lead, Hajime.

Hajime: What? 

Byakuya: Everyone, let’s stay on task!...What could Miss Kirigiri be alluding to?

##Non-stop debate 4##

TeruTeru: Well, we certainly () didn’t know of Kyokos existence here before now()…

Akane: I mean, we all got the same uniforms and stuff.

Nagito: And Hajime and I ()roomed together due to a space issue…()

Gundham: We also all woke up nearly nude! ()How weird we hadn’t awakened with any clothing!()

Kazuichi: We all got that same creepy speech spiel ()that Monokuma was going to put us under manual labor tomorrow!()

Kyoko: That’s not what I’m getting at…

Chiaki: Could it be…

Hiyoko: ()Something to do with the layout of the school?()

Fuyuhiko: ()Another person hiding around that Monokuma hadn’t told us about?()

Chiaki: ()Ma  ybe the r u les  ?()

##Non-stop debate cleared 4! 100%(cleared by Kirigiri[best outcome possible], Hajime and Nagitos rolls were too low)##

Kyoko: That’s correct! If everyone could kindly look at their e-handbooks, you’ll see the list of rules Monokuma put in there when you arrived. A couple rules have been somewhat broken, and from there, I think the case should be straight forward.  

Class 77-B obeys this command, taking out and reviewing their e-handbooks. Note at this point that Hajime does have his e-handbook back with him.

E-handbook Rules section

_Rule 1 - No one is to leave the school premise without permission -- those who try to leave school grounds without consent will be punished._

_Rule 2 - All students are to be kept (relatively) safe. Please resist urges to kill other students and faculty members._ ( x )

_Rule 3 - Violence against the headmaster is prohibited. If a blow intended for the headmaster connects with said headmaster, the student initiating the blow will be given a punishment._

_Rule 4 - All students are to be working toward two goals - cleanliness and the current class project. If the cleanliness chart falls below standards, all students will be reported to cleaning duties for three days straight. If this inhibits the ability to complete a school project, a punishment will occur to all students!_

_Rule 5 - There are two distinct times that occur during a typical day at Hopes Peak -- day time and night time. Day time typically consists of three distinct types of actions: cleaning, salvaging, and resting. Night time is strictly limited to students resting. We wouldn't want someone to fall asleep on the job!_

_Rule 6 - If an incident occurs between two students which results in the injury or death of another, the headmaster will call a council. From there, the rules will be established. ( x)_

_Rule 7 - To lower overhead in the school budget, be sure to clean up behind yourself. There are cameras almost everywhere -- you will be caught littering! And punished!_

. . .

Additional rules have been added – once headmaster adds new rules, please be sure to adhere by them!

Peko: I think I notice one of the rules that got broken...Monokuma, why didn’t you act on it?

MONOKUMA(sweating): Wha now? I don’t know what you’re talking about unless you point it out!

TeruTeru: You gon’ da’ pissin’ me off ya’ hur? Goin’ ‘round havin’ rules n’ not enforcin’ ‘em!

Fuyuhiko: Ok, seriously, what the fuck! And which rule are people even talking about?

Mikan(dark face): Oh, I know which one…

Ibuki: Ibuki wants to know!

Hiyoko: I’m not sure what rule got broken, but if that student didn’t get punished for breaking a rule, Monokuma is a TERRIBLE headmaster!

MONOKUMA(sweating more): N-Now students…

Byakuya: Hajime, could you please enlighten us?

Gundham: Hajime, shed the light on this case such that we can find absolution!

Nagito: Hmm…but if it is that rule, then why not…huh..

Nekomaru: Yeah, Hajime, what rule was broken!?!?

Hajime: I recall that in the notes I was given by the interrogator, Mikan and Chiaki were fighting on the later end of the evening, between around 8pm up until body discovery…but if that’s the case—

Mikan: I know. I broke a fuckin’ rule! Don’t rub it in my face!

Fuyuhiko: H-Hey, cool it. It’s more so of Monokumas’ fault for not breaking you two up. Why were you fighting anyway?

##Panic Action Sequence 3!##

Mikan: Do we really need to go further?

Mikan: We really should be asking that fucking bear questions!

Mikan: This. Is. Annoying!

Mikan: Why is this (rele v ant to the c a s e)?

F e m a l e U n *i* f o r m P l a c e m e n t[Break!]

##Panic talk cleared 100% w/ Kirigiri. Hajime and Nagito did roll well enough to break her##

Kyoko: Yes, we understand, you broke the rules. It is relevant because you left Sonias’ door open with some clothing. Besides being dangerous and breaking the *other* rule about littering, what was your intention by leaving the door open?

Mikan:…

Mikan: To generate despair, okay!?!? Someone had to make the first move and draw the first blood! Me and Sonia were planning on murdering Hajime, buuut, Chiaki started to meddle like a pest. By cornering me into the Sauna and getting me to fight her, I was stuck there the entire time.

Mikan: Is this that magical answer that you little pieces of hope need to get on your hope high? Well, time to crash that down into despair! Sonia and I are despair, and were trying to spread it as wide and soon as possible! Our first thought, however, was to kill Gundham Tanaka…

Mikan: Is this pleasing all of you? To have that image of Sonia tainted by the claws of despair? Or are you feeling it coming into you as well? Dripping each bit of humanity off your skin to feel freedom?

The rest of Class 77-B: …

Kyoko: Well, its sounds like you know a lot of information. To clear the air and get this out of the way as quickly as possible, can you tell us everything you know?

Mikan: I guuuess. Well, it all started earlier today before me and Sonia rushed off to that useless meeting Monokuma held. We were determined to spread despair today. We had a couple of ideas going around, poisoning Hajime, killing Gundham, and a bit of a subplot to maybe drive another student to kill another…

Mikan: In the early afternoon around 5pm, I snuck by Sonias’ room to go through prep for poisoning the then unconscious Hajime. The original plan was to switch out the drip chambers so the poison would slowly enter and kill Hajime. We put it in a plastic baggie on one of the usual medical hoisters.  The best part about this poison is that it had the same consistency of the usual IV liquids. Took _forever_ to get that poison into its place though. Upon contact with water, the poison is highly potent with higher concentrations of it. With the drip chamber, it would’ve gradually introduced the substance to Hajimes’ blood!

Mikan (crazed): The best thing about this plan would be that no one would be able to  track down an actual time of death! It would all be a guessing game to spread despair. Unfortunately, that plan was discarded when Gundham Tanaka proved to be…not Despair.

Gundham (upset): I was being coerced with each step both of you took to take another students life! Upon my honor and sanity, I refused to give into your despicable plan!

Mikan (yawning): Anyway, Sonia gave him a nice stab! Out of love though, you know, not out of the hate Monokuma has clearly outlined in his rules.

Mikan (happy?): You are very thorough in your ways and I appreciate that, Monokuma~.

MONOKUMA (blushing): At least someone respects me!

Kyoko: Get back on topic, you monster!

Mikan (disgruntled): Fine, fine. So after Sonia stabbed Gundham, we got our materials together. We made an IV laced with poison to kill the unconscious Hajime. Once Gundham woke up, he asked specifically to speak with Sonia. At this point, I had to block the door with something per Sonias’ request. Our intention, at this point, was to poison Hajime. But then another annoyance came to me.

Mahiru (angry): If  only I knew what you’ve already done…I would’ve stopped you while I had the chance…

Mikan (carefree) : Mahiru approached me and led me to the Sauna. There, with Chiaki and Hiyoko, I had very long…disagreement with them. The stabbing of Gundham was out of complete and utter despair-induced love. That’s probably why Monokuma, as a gracious leader *he* is, saved us from punishment. Right? Right?

MONOKUMA: Uh, sure, sure.

Nekomaru: That still doesn’t explain the Sauna, though, why that didn’t get caught…even if by some sort of loophole, that was completely off handed.

Nagito: Well, there is something special about that place. The fact that Monokuma doesn’t have cameras there.

Hajime: Without cameras, there was no way Monokuma could find that Chiaki and Mikan were breaking the rules…but, that still leaves a lot of missing time between 8 and when the body discovery occurred…so between then, someone killed Sonia…

Ibuki: This case is so confussinngg! 

Fuyuhiko: Well, from how bat shit crazy Mikan sounds, how can we trust Mikan didn’t off Sonia herself!??

Peko: Mikan could be pushing off responsibility of a potential earlier death before she met Mahiru in the hallway.

Hiyoko: That’s it—Mikan probably killed Sonia before she left. And then Kazuichi was probably just hallucinating hearing her voice. Kazuichi _is_ that delusional!

Gundham: If Mikan is willing to be honest, I should be too. I was in a confrontation with Sonia that ended with her—erm—unfortunate knocking from consciousness. I thought I hadn’t killed her per se, and then moved her over to the bathroom.

Hajime (thinking): We’re getting closer to the truth, but, I get the feeling we’re still some ways out…

Chiaki: This is getting quite confusing. Maybe we need to take another step back?

Byakuya: I don’t think that’s needed! Kazuichi: the focus is now entirely on you. Are you sure you did nothing else than turn on that water when you first met Sonia?

Kazuichi: Y-Yeah! That’s all I did before running into the folks near the kitchen at that time…I could’ve sworn I heard her voice.

Kyoko: And you’re certain, Kazuichi, that you turned on the shower to douse her in water?

Kazuichi: YEAH! Jesus, why did you guys keep trying to confirm that with me?!?

Hajime:…

Hajime (thinking): If this keeps going in the direction I think it’s going in, then the interrogator would be correct…Kazuichi would’ve –

Kyoko: Then you’re the killer.

Class 77-B gasp in shock at these revelations! Monokuma laughs off in his chair, seeming to enjoy this class council far too much.

Kazuichi (crying): W-W-What? H-how?

Mikan (deadpan): The IV liquid Sonia and I were preparing…it’s likely that it…

Gundham (strained): May or may not have been accidentally broken on Sonias’ unconscious body. I mean, it was all a blur to me, all things considered…but I do recall feeling Sonias’ body as I moved her and her being a bit damp at some point..

Nagito: And if that’s the case…

Nekomaru: Death would’ve been…

Silence takes over the room. Everyone gives suggestive glances to those around them, Kazuichi beginning to sob. He wipes his eyes constantly, trying his best to maintain composure.

Kyoko: I think everyone knows what needs to happen now.

Kazuichi (between sobs): N-NO! I refuse it. I didn’t kill—er—mean to kill Sonia Nevermind!

Kyoko: It doesn’t matter if you didn’t mean to kill her. You still, unfortunately, did what was needed to…end her life.

Hajime (thinking): If the interrogator is right, and Kazuichi is the killer, then what next? Will Kazuichi die? I feel like I’m still missing something…

Kyoko: Everyone, I think now would be the proper time to vote! I don’t think we need to debate this any longer.

Nagito: But, there’s still a lot of crazy evidence around that hasn’t been given an honest review. Like, those smelling salt—

Kyoko: For your own good, you’ll shush and just vote.

Nekomaru: I mean, while the evidence is convincing, and you are the ultimate detective, how…what if Kazuichi isn’t the actual killer?

Hajime: That is true…we may get an even worse punishment put onto us.

Hiyoko: Idiots—two different people confirmed with Kazuichi he combined a **deadly** poison with water to kill Sonia. Even if it was an accident, I won’t let someone elses accident be the result of me getting any sort of punishment!

TeruTeru: I’m ready to vote!

Ibuki: Ibuki is ready to finish things up!

Fuyuhiko: Sounds pretty straight forward—and even if Kazuichi did or didn’t hear Sonia, her last moments were likely spent on enjoying her despair-crazy death plan. With how fuckin’ crazy Mikans’ become, Sonia must’ve thought it was a twisted game to have Kazuichi end her if she did say those words. Man, that’s rough buddy. Buut—sadly—I gotta vote for you to keep myself safe.

Peko: That’s…heartbreaking. I’m ready to vote as well.

Nagito: Guess that means I should be ready to vote, too.

Mikan(drooling) : I’m excited to vote!

Hiyoko: Shut up you pig!

Mikan (blushing): Call me that again~

Mahiru: I guess, with all these new things in perspective, I’m ready to vote.

Byakuya: While I’d like to be more thorough, I will trust the judgement of someone who has the title Ultimate Detective.

Akane: I’m ready, I guess…

Kazuichi (sobbing): I’m definitely not ready to vote.

Chiaki: I am ready to cast my vote.

Gundham: I apologize, my dear friend Kazuichi, but my vote will be cast in your name.

Hajime (thinking): This can’t be it…no…I can’t end this way!

MONOKUMA: Sounds like we’re all just about rea—

Hajime: No! There’s one more thing I want to make clear by this Kirigiri detective!   


##Final Rebuttal Showdown!##

Hajime: If you’re so certain that Kazuichi is the killer.

Hajime: Then what () o th er pro o f do y  ou ha ve() [Break critical!!]

Kyoko: Oh, that’s easy. Monokuma, since it’s not in the e-handbooks yet, what was that rule you always use with how the body discovery announcements work?

MONOKUMA: Ah, me again? I swear I’ve contributed more to this case than some students! Anyway, I guess it is important: “Whenever three or more students not involved in the murder case discovers the body, I make the body announcement!”

Kyoko: Byakuya, TeruTeru, Ibuki, do you recall when exactly that announcement was made?

Ibuki: I passed out, I’m not sure!

TeruTeru: I don’t really recall. I was too shocked after seeing the dead body.

Byakuya: Ah. I see.

Byakuya (self-assured): Hajime. If  Monokumas’ rule is true, then the body discovery announcement should’ve been made after TeruTeru or Ibuki saw the body, whoever saw it last. If Kazuichi wasn’t involved in the murder, it should’ve triggered Monokuma to make that announcement earlier.

Hiyoko (cackles): Unless his rule keeping for murders is as shoddy as keeping tabs on when people fight!

MONOKUMA: I did, to admit, keep count on those who weren’t involved in the murder before making that announcement.

Kyoko: Well? Doesn’t that convince you, Hajime?

Hajime: I just…I want to help Kazuichi out this, but, it seems like there’s nothing else left to discuss…I’m ready to vote.

MONOKUMA: Alright-ee, you guys know the deal! Cast your votes and I’ll let you all know the results. If you guys pick correctly, only the killer will be punished!

MONOKUMA: But if you choose incorrectly, you’ve got quite the punishment ahead of you. Puhuhu! The killer was **really* detailed with their punishment request.

* * *

 

Class 77-B proceeds to make their votes, Kyoko still in the middle of all of the students. She seems…impatient, sweating a bit as the students gradually file in their votes.

Nagito turns to Hajime, whispering into his ear, “Hey…whatever happens, I’ll be there. I’m not sure how much you remember or if you trust me, but we must stick together. Please. Promise me that.” Hajime is taken aback as he finishes scribbling his vote, sighing. He takes a quick peek to see if anyone else is watching but everyone appears to be consumed in their own flavor of fear and/or despair.

“Sure, I guess…it’s not like things are going exactly like I imagined.” Hajime replied, casting his voice into the system. Nagito proceeds to take one of Hajimes hands, squeezing it lovingly.

“That’s my Hajime,” Nagito whispers, smiling sheepishly at him.

“Alright students, the votes are in!” Monokuma calls to everyone. Class 77-B nervously awaits the verdict. Kazuichi stands up only half way, seemingly to be sinking into his own (comical) pit of darkness.

“Ah, I know, I was voted the…killer…” Kazuichi said, his eyes to the ground. The rest of the class avoids looking over at Kazuichi, eyes fixated on Monokuma.

“YEEP! Kazuichi has been chosen as the blacke—er—killer! And that is…wrong! Incorrect! Not right! You guys know what that means!” Monokuma says, cackling with his paws on his stomach. Everyone looks around in confusion, some students beginning to point at Kyoko in the middle of the circle.

“H-Hey, you lied to us! You said he was the  killer!” Mahiru yells out, attempting to cross over the wooden frame of the roundabout to reach Kyoko.

“All I said was that Kazuichi was _part of the murder scene_. It was an educated guess. Don’t blame me,” Kyoko replies, seeming to grumble every other word. Hajime catches onto her seeming bitterness, wondering if she was even certain of her choice as Kazuichi as the killer.

“I didn’t kill Sonia, I didn’t kill Sonia, I didn’t—” Kazuichi had begun to chat, but Akane shot a deadly glare at Kazuichi.

“This isn’t good, stupid! That means…we all get punished. By the real killer…” Akane says, the entire class catching their eye on a thick pink fog exuding from the vents.

“And your punishment will be long and dragged out as per the true killers wishes! I hope you guys have fun, to be honest! The killer even went through the trouble of giving everyone their own marginal means of survival!” Monokuma says, laughing still as the pink fog begins to settle into the room. Students attempt to claw at the elevator that lowered them to the court room-esque area, banging on  all types of metal guarding the rooms exit.

“OPEN, GODDAMIT,” screamed Nekomaru, attempting to pry open the metal bars that guarded the elevator area. Akane was assisting with this, but the metal did not seem to bend.

Nagito, even before the pink fog reached to ground level, was impacted by the effects. Falling onto Hajimes hold, Nagito had begun to pass out.

“I guess…we’ll have to wait to see what comes next…” Nagito breathed out before his eyes shut. The remaining students were either struggling to exit or accepting their fate. Kazuichi, curled up into a ball, had still been crying.

“I didn’t…kill her…” were the last words Kazuichi muttered. The overall tone of the event came across as a fear to Hajime, especially since his body appeared to resist the smoke for a while. His eyes darted, wildly, trying to locate who the killer had been. Hajime figured, if this was a punishment constructed by them, they would likely be unaffected by the gas.

To Hajimes’ surprise, the last student standing gave him a sickening smirk.  

“W-Why?” Hajime questioned as he fell to his knees, holding Nagito within his arms. The assumed killer tilted her head, a smile growing on her face.

“This is the better option. You’ll see.” The killer spoke. Those were the last words Hajime would hear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, you! You, that person reading this? Do you like DnD(dungeons and dragons)? Do you also love the Danganronpa 2 cast? Weeell, this is your chance to smash both of those enjoyments together! With how this story has evolved, Class 77-B will be transported into a virtual world like sword art online for their punishment! Based on the type of punishment this is, I think most of you know who the actual killer is now. :P
> 
> To give a quick preface, the living 15 students will be separated into groups(depending on how many human players I can get behind the characters will increase/decrease the number of groups as needed). The objective is for the group to find each other (alive, hopefully) and find their matches for their given musical instruments to double their current firepower level. Each student will have their own, personalized DnD character sheet along with associated weapon/armors. IF you are interested in being a human player behind on one(or two, up to two characters per person) character, please send me over the following information:
> 
> Name(can be your screenname or a nickname): 
> 
> Age(so I can pretty much weed out people who aren't old enough for this campaign, for this you'll need to be 16+): 
> 
> Desired characters:(place a few different characters you wouldn't mind playing, I would suggest doing two because Monokuma has built this world in an unforgiving matter[ a lot of the threats in this campaign are a few levels higher than you, increasing the mortality rate]) 
> 
> Time zone:(this is so I can best schedule the times to play these campaigns. I'm leaning toward having a weekday meeting time where the human players will get together and attempt to advance the plot of the campaign, and in turn, this fanfiction!!) 
> 
> Any triggering topics:(This campaign is scheduled to go through some pretty dark topics, so if there's any topics you feel scared/uncomfortable going through, let me know here!) 
> 
> Availability:(So I can hopefully schedule the first session sometime in December, after I get through all of the flashback chapters): 
> 
> Best way of contact:(So I can reply to your application! If you're doing so via e-mail, just paste your e-mail.)
> 
>  
> 
> Other:(Any other information you would like me to know).
> 
> If you are selected to play a character/character isn't already taken, I'll show you what the character sheet looks like for that character. If you don't like it/feel its not right for you, we can look into other available characters at the time. 
> 
>  
> 
> Applications WILL CLOSE(if I receive NO applications by this date): December 3rd, 2017.   
> Applications WILL CLOSE(if I receive some applications, enough to move forward with the campaign): December 11th, 2017
> 
> Feel free to send the applications via my e-mail: elementalgirl212@hotmail.com or via messaging on the Danganronpa amino app(my user is YumeSin). 
> 
> I hope you have enjoyed the story thus far!!


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